WIP: Hidden Stars Quilt

I've been working on this quilt for... a while now and kept meaning to post an update. At least I'm getting better at the photo taking bit of the equation so here's photographic evidence of the progress I've made so far.

Hidden stars - status Winter 2013

Started: June 2013
Finished: WIP
Size: Originally 135 x 135 cm now 190 x 190 cm (with sashing) 
Quilt top: Oak Leaves and Reel by Moda
Backing: Old duvet cover from my grandmother's house (pieced together as it wasn't quite big enough)
Binding: tbd but planning a dark red binding to match the centre star
Batting: Hobbs Heirloom wool batting
Quilting: In the process of machine quilting

I've wanted to make this quilt ever since I saw the pattern in this fabulous book by Pam Linttot. It took me absolutely ages to find the same fabric that is used in the book but luckily ebay and online fabric shops are my friends.

I keep putting this quilt on hold - first because I needed to concentrate on getting my PhD thesis written, then because I started a new job and then because I've spend most of the past year travelling for work. Every so often I'd cart it over The Quilt Queen's place and we'd have a great time fiddling with it. Unfortunately, there never seemed to be enough time to get it actually done. Luckily, The Quilt Queen gets very excited about new quilts and likes to keep them at her house and fix things after I leave.

The Quilt Queen and I had a great time over Christmas 2014 choosing sashing and assembling the rest of the quilt top.

Hidden stars - status January 2015

This past January we took ourselves to a lovely hotel and spa for a couple of days of massages, saunas and sewing. The living room of our suite was *just* big for the quilt once we shoved all the furniture against the walls. I had such a lovely (and productive) weekend that I'm hoping that we can make this a regular mother / daugher trip. We took granny along as well, which was lovely, but she didn't really understand why we were doing "work" on the quilt while we were meant to be on a relaxing weekend.

Hidden stars - pin basting January 2015

Anyway, we managed to get all of the safety pin basting done as well (much easier with two people). Getting the quilt and my new sewing machine back on the plane was ... interesting. Thank heaven I was flying BA!

The quilt has been gracing my sofa in all of its unfinished mess glory since January. I finally started quilting it today. My mother got an all-singing all-dancing giant sewing machine of awesomeness for Christmas and has given me her old Singer Samba. It's so nice to have the sewing machine that my mummy taught me to sew on and it's so much better and more powerful than the one I've been using.

Hidden stars - quilting (and new sewing machine!!)

I've spent a lovely afternoon doing some (absolutely terrible) "in the ditch" quilting and some diagonals. The fact that I can't seem to stitch a straight line / stay in the ditch is rather upsetting. I keep telling myself that it's just a quilt for my sofa and that the wiggly bits add character. Just keep practicing!

Here's hoping it won't be another six months before I finally finish this one. I'd quite like to use it for snuggling up on the sofa with when the weather is cooler this year and it has such pretty autumnal colours!

À bientôt (I hope) !
Love, me x