One of the many things that I like about the process of making these memorial quilts is that there are so many different steps to it to suit my different moods. If I am feeling particularly adventurous and creative I can experiment with new types of prints, if I’m feeling like churning out work there is always plenty of cutting and sewing and if I’m feeling more intellectual there is always reading up on quilting and finding new patterns to work with. For snowy meditative days in Maine there is nothing better than veging out in front of the TV under an afghan and hemming a quilt.

I add the hems to the quilts after they are all pieced together by first trimming the interfacting (pellon) down to about a quarter inch all around. Then I hand sew a whipstitch on the reverse side:

Whipstiching edge on “Shoolgirls Puzzle (for Halice)”

And here’s how it ends up looking on the front:

Close up of edge of “Schoolgirl’s Puzzle (for Halice)”

It takes a long time and is amazingly monotonous but it’s so much better than going outside today…

View of the door yard today