Friday, September 07, 2007

Spiders

This is my quilts Spiders. [Or is it Spider? I can never remember what I've named my quilts.] I began piecing it on 15 November 2001 and put the binding on 6 July 2002, all while living in Georgia. It measures 40" x 46.5"

I just played with making spiders, starting out with different sizes of squares and rectangles. I used 1" thick strips to make the legs.

I heavily quilted with regular black quilting thread. I used my ruler to draw relatively straight lines, but otherwise drew spiderwebs freehand with my chalk, just marking a bit in advance of my quilting.

I used black fabric for all of the letters and changed the background for each letter. The background of the free-pieced letters somewhat mimics the piano key borders.

I wasn't in the mood to sew spiders, but this is how you make them. They are based on asterisks, using 1" strips for the legs.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Can you believe it, Finn, yet another Halloween quilt I've never shown you. This quilt was in storage while I was living in Cairo and I just didn't want to post a lousy pic without any detail shots.

I lugged 40 pounds of cat food home today. Okay, I had a wheelie thing, but that's still a lot. Next time I'm making my husband do it.

I finished rewatching the first season of Veronica Mars. I love that show. I hate the fact that it's been cancelled, although I admittedly have not watched the third season, so maybe it was a good thing to put it out of its misery (like they should have done several years sooner to The X-Files.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

i love this, i am becoming very intrigued with your methods, glad to see your sketches, i was doing a few this morning myself....

Kristin Shields said...

Absolutely wonderful, as always! Thanks for sharing.

Kate said...

This is a really fun one! Love the beautiful webs in the quilting.

jovaliquilts said...

Thanks for the tutorial! So cute. (If spiders can be cute...)

Do you keep a quilting journal with the dates you do everything? I am pretty haphazard with my quilting records but am thinking of keeping better track. If you want to do a little lesson on what's good to note and why, it would be welcome!

Quinta da Quilter said...

Love the spiders and their webs!

Laurie Ann said...

Okay, love the colors, quilting, etc. But I have to admit even those wonky spiders kinda creep me out!!!

Diane said...

Another fabulous quilt--what a concept! Seeing your beautiful stitches really makes me miss my hand quilting!

Tracey in CT said...

Love the colors! The quilting looks really neat. I just don't think I'm ready for a quilt covered with spiders. Nope, not ready for that.

Finn said...

Hey Ton, great itsy-bitsy spiders...quite cunning and clever! Think I might just have to piece one of those...LOL

Great little(or not so little) quilt! Glad you waited til you got a good picture. Wonderful that you and your quilts are reunited!
Have to say...that salad looks mighty good...with either kind of melon!! And that chocolate display is to D.I.E. for...what a fate! Hugs, Finn

Ann said...

Beautiful quilt! I love the spider web quilting, your quilting is so unique and clever. The colors of this quilt are perfect too.

Joyce said...

Love the spiders. What a great idea.

Quilting Pirate said...

incredible quilting!! I love the detailed webs!!

McIrish Annie said...

cool spiders! thanks for the illustration on how to make them.

Tazzie said...

This quilt is just magnificent Tonya! The spiders are wonderful, and the quilted webs are just fantastic. You never cease to amaze me Tonya!
*hugs*
Tazzie
:-)

Carol E. said...

Fabulous spiders! Your quilts just make the world a happier place! I loved Veronica Mars at first. It got worse as time went on, I thought. The last season was a disappointment.

Nettie said...

What a cool quilt! I love the spiderweb quilting and the bit of verse.

Mary Johnson said...

This is a great quilt! I'm still trying to think up a quilt to try the letters out on.

I didn't realize you had lived in GA, what part?

KC Quilter said...

Love, love, love the spider quilt! Every time I read one of your fabulous tutorials, I wonder if you are still planning to write your book. Sure hope so!

Feeling Simply Quilty said...

Oooohhh miss lazy girl, I do like your quilts.

I like spiders, they take care of the bugs!

Hedgehog said...

I love these spiders! I've decided I need to buy some solids when I'm in the US in December.

Unknown said...

Great quilting on this one. You are really the Halloween Queen, aren't you?

atet said...

Love the spiders and the quilting details.

I was soooo ticked when they cancelled Veronica Mars -- LOVED that show, and the end of the third season proves the creators had no idea it was going to BE the end. Which left me with a semi-cliff hanger -- and no chance that it will ever be resolved. ARRRGHHHHHH!!!!

Lynn Dykstra said...

What fun!!