Friday, February 16, 2018

Harley Davidson Memory Quilt ~~ Quilting Finish

 And so the Harley Davidson memory quilt is quilted. I still need to sew on the binding, but if all goes well, that will happen tomorrow. I was thinking that I’d use the charcoal Kona for binding, but tonight I’m thinking that a black Kona would be a better idea. Harley Davidson colors are orange and black but I like the frame of a black binding.

I took these pictures very quickly after I pulled the quilt off the long-arm and trimmed the rough edges off. So typical of the way I do things, I misjudged the amount of backing I would need. 

Actually, what I did was to use one strip of tee-shirts on the back so that the quilt would not be so large and heavy. Thank goodness I did! This quilt took five days to quilt. Of course, I did much more babysitting than quilting, and I do have a sinus infection that has me sleeping late every morning. Oh, and I should not forget that I visited the in-laws which always takes a couple of hours.  Nevertheless, I spent a couple of hours every day this week quilting.



Every tee shirt got its own custom quilting design. One has stippling with a small Harley Davidson logo stitched in. Another has palm leaves; the Florida shirt has tiki huts, Texas (maybe) has stars. Memphis has music staffs stippled in. And so on.

There are several advantages to quilting a memory quilt this way. First, it adds to the depth of energy in the quilt and, second, gives the viewer something to look for. Third, it’s great practice for the quilter. Fourth, (my favorite) it’s an opportunity to create new motifs.

indianImage result
For the Alexandria, Louisiana, tee, I created a new motif. The focus of the quilt is the Indian motorcycle logo, so I attempted to recreate the Indian headdress. The first couple are okay but by the time I got to the end of the tee, I’d figured out a few problems and improved the design. 
So why didn’t I rip out the first ones, you ask? Well, it’s too much work but, also, I avoid ripping out because it so easily damages the fabric. Remember, these are old tee-shirts that have been worn and washed many times. They come apart easily if pulled on or poked with the seam ripper. What do you like most about quilt a tee-shirt memory quilt? 

4 comments:

Karen S said...

Well done getting the quilting finished. this will be a treasure.

The Joyful Quilter said...

That quilting takes the T-Quilt to a whole 'nother level!! What do I like best about a T-quilt? I enjoy preserving memories for the owner of the shirts. Each one is a new challenge!

Kaja said...

I've never made a t-shirt quilt, but I like looking at them. Your quilting has really added a new dimension to this one.

Sandra Walker said...

I will have to remember to come back to your post; going to bookmark it, as I have a t-shirt quilt in my future...not looking forward to it really for more reasons than one. You've done a great job! And with a sinus infection and extra family duties too!