I started this quilt around March or April in 2025 (thank you Instagram for recording the dates). I'd seen a Rose City Originals making a version of a winding ways quilt in scrappy greens and decided that I needed to make this quilt too. Here's the link to Chris on Instagram putting his quilt blocks together. I bought the die set from Accuquilt Australia and got to cutting.
Putting these blocks together turned out to be a little trickier than the YouTube tutorial led me to believe. The centre bits weren't lining up properly so I ended up sewing them together into the top section, bottom section and then with lot's of pinning, the pieced long middle section. That worked a treat, so I continued to make lots and lots.
I realised that I didn't really have enough blue fabric prints in my stash, which needed some stash enhancement throughout the process. Honestly, if you saw how much fabric I have in my sewing room, you'd also be surpised at my lack of suitable blue fabrics.
After putting it together, I needed to think about the quilting which made me fold this up and put it away for a few months. You can't rush into these things, right? I really wanted some sort of quilting design that would enhance those secondary circular shapes but couldn't decide how to go about it.
At one point earlier this year, I had a few days off from work and no pressing things that needed attention (or maybe I did and decided to ignore them), so I got my quilt out, sandwiched it and ditch stitched with my sewing machine.
I could have left it at that, but thought I'd just have a little go and hand quilting with some perle 8 cotton to see how it looked. I chose a dark orange colour thread and made a start. Gosh I really enjoy hand quilting and hadn't done it for a long time.
I've been teaching some ladies in my classes how to hand quilt and they're enjoying it (for the most part) and so it was time that I did a little of my own. I was working my way through that ball of thread rather quickly so decided to add a few more orange/gold/tan tones into the mix. A few years back, I went through a stage of buying lots of of perle 8 in all sorts of different colours, so I had plenty to choose from at home.
This quilting stage took a few months or stops and starts. I'd take up the end of the dining table for a few days at a time and then put it away. This quilt is quite large so having it rest on the table was much easier than trying to manhandle it on my lap.
For the binding, I decided on a dark orange Speckled fabric by Ruby Star Society. It went well with my quilting thread colours and I do love how it turned turned out.
Before I could call it finished, I unpicked all of the ditch stitching and I'm glad that I took that extra time to remove it. The quilt is sitting better without those tight machine stitches holding the blocks apart.
This morning I braved the washing machine with a couple of colour catchers. I only used two in there and in hindsight, should have used more as some of the lighter fabrics took on hints of blueish-grey. I'm not sure which fabrics 'leaked' but I feel possibly, it was the backing fabric.
And here it is - all quilted, washed and put through the dryer for that lovely soft crinkly feel. Now I just need to make a label before folding it up and putting it away in a cupboard somewhere. I have to plans for this quilt - I just really wanted to make this pattern and glad that I did.
The contrasting thread you used for hand quilting your Winding Ways is perfect. The orange binding really sets it off!. Hand quilting takes a long time but it was totally worth it. Well done. A beautiful finish. I am just about finished hand quilting a pineapple log cabin quilt and have another one basted and ready to go when this one is done. Gail at the cozy quilter
ReplyDeleteThanks very much Gail. Yes it does take a while, but it's such a lovely, soothing process.
DeleteI love that pattern, bought that die and have been unable to get it pieced together, top and bottom in a reliable way. So, it is just sitting there.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda, I was having trouble putting it together so I changed up my method from the tutorial - I found it gave me a better result.
DeleteI put the top and bottom B/A/B pieces together. I then stitched the two C pieces together, (small side) end to end. Then it was a matter of pinning and sewing the two B/A/B sections to the middle C/C section. I hope this made some slight sense.
Beautiful, now I want to make one. I loved reading the story of its creation.
ReplyDeleteYes, you should definitely make one too. We'll get Jeanette on the bandwagon too ;-)
DeleteBeautiful quilt. Love the orange stitching. I'd always planned to make one, i had the templates & a pattern book but as they sat for years & years with no attempt to start i sold it all. But now when i see yours i want to make one. :) :)
ReplyDeleteHi jeanette,
DeleteI have a template set which I bought years ago from a quilt show and forgot I had it when I bought the accuquilt die set.
You should definitely make one :)
What a gorgeous finished quilt! I have a couple questions... did you piece it by machine? Or by hand? I have a Winding Ways quilt in progress, safely tucked away since 2011 (smile), and it was hand-pieced so as to get curves smooth and points to match. If I'd ever pick it up again, it would be relatively easy to finish, as I intend to domestic machine quilt it. Also, do you always wash and dry a quilt when you're finished? Is there a reason you do that? I never wash my finishes, so I'm curious as to why. Thanks for sharing how you made this beauty.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda,
DeleteYes I machine pieced this one, but I can understand why hand piecing would also be a good option, especially to get the seams all matched up. I think if I'd cut the shapes using a traditional template and had drawn the 1/4" piecing lines, I'd have chosen hand method also.
I don't always wash and dry quilts, but this one had been "going" for such a long time.
It had been dragged around from the table and back to the sewing room. I'd touched it all over when hand stitching and I'm sure that the cat had sat on it when I wasn't looking.
It's mainly for this reason that I washed and dried it. And I expect it'll be a quilt that might get used. When I make a quilt that I don't expect will get used (hung on a wall or put away for future gifting etc), I don't wash right away. Hope this all makes sense :)