Utility Quilting

I'm quilting!  Yes, the Gettysburg Battle Flag quilt is coming right along.  If all goes to plan, I should have it quilted by (no one is going to hold me to this, right?) ... let's say the end of the week.  Just to be on the safe side.  Then it's time to cut the binding and stitch that on.  But first...

I was going to show you each of the blocks prior to quilting.  And I will show you how they looked - I took a mighty good shot of each one - but I really want to finish researching each flag first.  That post will come.  Let's look at the quilting instead.

Action shot!  (Not really; I had to stop to take the picture.)

I decided to go with a variegated thread.  Oh, I know ... they didn't HAVE variegated thread back then.  On purpose, anyway.  I mean... if they left a spool or two in the sun they would have gotten the same effect.  (Besides, if they HAD King Tut thread, they would have loved it every bit as much as I do.)  The variegated thread (this is all sand-like colors), is giving me a faded look - and adds a little play of light across the quilt.  (The Guide Dog for the Color Blind helped choose it; he'll be happy to handle any complaints.)

After researching what type of quilting they would have done in the mid-19th century, I opted to go with a double criss-cross style of utility quilting, as you can see in the photo above.  Utility quilting is an overall pattern with no thought given to the pieced quilt.  They would often use double or triple lines.  This process has already given new appreciation for being able to sew a straight line (that is a challenge for me!) - and then to repeat it a quarter of an inch away.  (What was I thinking?)

Here's a shot from today:

Can you tell I'm making lots of headway!?!? I may be setting a personal record for getting a quilt done.

Here's another close-up:

That's a good example of how you don't pay any attention whatsoever to the quilt "pieces" in utility quilting!

More in the next day or two!  Thanks for reading!