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Together in a Friendship World

April 29, 2013 94 Comments

Our friendship quilt is finally finished. Its story is  here.

I told you how terrified I was when I washed the quilt; well, lots of worries for nothing. The quilt is perfectly flat and the sphere is almost perfect. The sphere measures 80” and the difference between the horizontal and vertical diameter is 1/8” (but a little more on other diameters).

Mihaela named this quilt “Together in a Friendship World” and we think it perfectly fits.

I took these pictures inside (it was a windy day, no way to take pictures outside); the pictures of the whole quilt are not perfect but the details are better.

Sorry for my tired face!

I took this picture for you to see the real size of the quilt; the final size is 91”x 91”; it shrunk a lot after washing and I had to trim off an additional 1” of all the edges when I squared it up.

Again, I was lucky that my hubby and my sister Oana helped me with the washing, squaring up, binding and taking pictures.

I added the binding after I washed the quilt, I always do this.I was puzzled when I read that this is controversial, I thought all the quilters do this!
I suppose most of the quilts get distorted after washing;  the stitching relax and most of the distortion will happen at the first washing. This is why I think it is better to wash the quilt first, then square it up and then bind it; at least, this is my engineering thinking:)

We loved to work with the beautiful colors of Kona cotton and I had the best time quilting with Aurifil; my speedy industrial machine stitches only with good thread and Aurifil never disappoints me.  I used almost 3 large spools.

The step I thought will be the most difficult (because of the quilt size) – the quilting – it was very easy and I spent on quilting much less time than I anticipated.

The quilting on the back! The ideal quilting would have been the one stitched in the same color as the color of the flower, meaning colorful flowers stitched on the back of the quilt. I should have changed the color of the  thread for each flower – in the needle and in the bobbin; a lot of additional time and also a lot of colored thread to buy:). It remained just an idea for a future quilt!

I quilted feathers on the hexagons –  it is so easy to fill up the space with feathers. They look like petals of flowers and add a lot of strength to the hand stitching  – in fact, due to the dense quilting and because the feathers follow the edges of the hexagons, there is no stress on the hand stitching.  I think this quilting prolongs the life of this hand pieced quilt.

I did not prewash the cotton batting and the texture is  wonderful after washing.

On the back.

I adore the look of the  light color thread on dark color fabric.

The quilting on the hexagon background.

Just simple, wavy quilting lines, stitched in different directions on the adjacent hexagons.

On the back.

Some of you asked who will keep the quilt ? Well, none of us want it! It’s too big for our houses!  And this is a design that looks better if you see it from some distance. If you stay just in front of it, you see only color,  piecing and quilting. We hope to exhibit it some day in Romania.

When I designed this quilt, I thought it will always be only a picture stored on my computer.
And now, the difference between the picture and the real quilt – the LIFE we gave it in about 4 months.

I loved working on each step of this quilt. The emotion of stitching this quilt from day 1 to the last day is something wonderful; but at the same time I would have loved to see this quilt, NOW, for the first time. I think my friends feel the same. If you see it for the first time, I envy you!

I hope my quilting friends forgot the countless hours of work and enjoy now the finished quilt. We have to meet soon so they can see it in person!
I am happy we made room for it in our busy lives! I am happy and grateful  that my friends/sisters accepted to be part of this quilt; none of us could have made it without the help of the others.

We hope you enjoy seeing it, as we enjoyed making it.

Geta and her quilting  friends and family

Some of you asked if the pattern for this quilt is available; NO,  I don’t have a pattern and I don’t think I will write it in the future (I should make a new quilt!).
But I have a pattern for this smaller version.

Modern Grandmothers Flower Garden Quilt Pattern

Interested in how I quilted it ? Here is a tutorial.

How to quilt hexagons

 

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Filed Under: finished quilts, quilts Tagged With: english paper piecing

Comments

  1. Vicki W says

    April 29, 2013 at 1:51 pm

    It's spectacular! Congratulations!

    Reply
  2. Sharmond says

    April 29, 2013 at 2:05 pm

    Beautiful quilt, so intricate! Your work is so inspiring. I have not heard of washing before binding. Do you staystitch the edges before washing? Has your fabric been pre-washed before cutting and sewing the quilt? Always ready to learn new things, and you have great ideas.

    Reply
  3. Margaret Griffiths says

    April 29, 2013 at 2:08 pm

    it turned out so great! The picture of you next to it is cool really shows off the scale. Beautiful. Makes me want to join the hex. craze. Thanks for share.

    Reply
  4. CraftyGardenMom - Tanesha says

    April 29, 2013 at 2:10 pm

    Wow, this is breathtaking!

    Reply
  5. M-R Charbonneau says

    April 29, 2013 at 2:12 pm

    Fantastic! Congratulations on a stunning quilt!

    Reply
  6. Quilting Babcia says

    April 29, 2013 at 2:17 pm

    An amazing quilt! I love the dimensionality of the sphere! I hope you will enter this in some major shows, it deserves to be seen by many quilters! Congratulations to all of you.

    Reply
  7. Alyx Patterson says

    April 29, 2013 at 2:17 pm

    Oh my gosh! This is absolutely stunning! The quilting is beautiful but the piecing is what really steals the show on this quilt! Wow!

    Reply
  8. maria says

    April 29, 2013 at 2:18 pm

    Your quilt is incredible. I'm amazed at how well you achieved the 3D effect. It really deserves to be seen and enjoyed everyday. Is there not a public building in Romania that could display it?

    Reply
  9. knitandpatch says

    April 29, 2013 at 2:28 pm

    Absolutely stunning! This quilt is so wonderful, I have not enough words to say how beautiful this is.
    Saskia

    Reply
  10. Manuela says

    April 29, 2013 at 2:37 pm

    Congratulation! The quit is amazing.
    Wonderful quilting.

    Greetings, Manuela

    Reply
  11. Mintyfresh says

    April 29, 2013 at 2:41 pm

    I've always loved your optical illusion quilts, but this one clearly takes the cake! I followed along as you went and am still impressed every time I see it. Bravo to you, your sisters, and your friends!

    Reply
  12. Karenkay says

    April 29, 2013 at 2:52 pm

    absolutely beautiful!

    Reply
  13. sandy says

    April 29, 2013 at 3:02 pm

    Absolutely beautiful. I would love to see it in person…coming to Canada soon? I hope you find somewhere to display it so lots of people can ecjoy the beauty of it.

    Reply
  14. Roolen says

    April 29, 2013 at 3:04 pm

    Fantastic quilt! Congratulation!

    Reply
  15. Lynn says

    April 29, 2013 at 3:21 pm

    Geta, it is such a lovely quilt and the name fits it perfectly. Thank you for sharing you and your quilting friends journey in the making of this beautiful quilt. I still can't believe you finished it this quickly – busy, fast fingers for sure!

    Reply
  16. Jean says

    April 29, 2013 at 3:24 pm

    This is gorgeous. I have not heard of washing before binding, but am going to try it as it seems like a great idea. I can't imagine the time it took to make this beautiful quilt.Your quilting is exquisite too.

    Reply
  17. Odry says

    April 29, 2013 at 3:29 pm

    hello,
    A beautiful friendship quilt and quilting have been great.

    Greetings from
    Palencia
    Spain

    Reply
  18. Paula says

    April 29, 2013 at 3:57 pm

    It has turned out absolutley stunning. Well done to you all on all of your hard work.

    Reply
  19. Aida says

    April 29, 2013 at 3:59 pm

    Un cuvant este suficient pentru a descrie acest quilt "extraordinar!!" felicitari

    Reply
  20. Anne says

    April 29, 2013 at 4:20 pm

    It's an incredible quilt and yet, the thought of making something that intricate and that big just boggles the mind. The quilting is so exquisite, it just makes that quilt every so much more incredible! And even with you standing next to it, it looks like it's convexing out at you. An amazing quilt.

    Reply
  21. Laura Franci says

    April 29, 2013 at 4:24 pm

    Pazzesco, fantastico, incredibile. Congratulazioni a te e alle tue amiche.

    Reply
  22. Marie says

    April 29, 2013 at 4:33 pm

    Hi Geta! Im a big fan – nearly done with my version of the flowers on a sphere. Can you tell us which computer program you use to twist the flat picture to the curved ones in several of your patterns?

    Reply
  23. liniecat says

    April 29, 2013 at 4:41 pm

    Remarkable!! Amazing!

    Reply
  24. Karen - Quilts...etc. says

    April 29, 2013 at 4:58 pm

    this is just so beautiful – job well done!!! the quilting is so pretty and goes with this quilt perfectly

    Reply
  25. Mishka says

    April 29, 2013 at 5:03 pm

    Absolutely incredible. You all did such a fantastic job.

    Reply
  26. Amy Friend says

    April 29, 2013 at 5:11 pm

    It's simply amazing and breathtaking. What a labor of love.

    Reply
  27. ruthianna says

    April 29, 2013 at 5:43 pm

    Totally awesome!

    Reply
  28. emeggs says

    April 29, 2013 at 5:51 pm

    Again stunning and beautiful, what a wonderful work.
    Erika from Austria

    Reply
  29. Rebeckah Austin says

    April 29, 2013 at 5:51 pm

    I is awesome! I was just about to ask you about a smaller version of the quilt 🙂

    Reply
  30. Mary L. says

    April 29, 2013 at 6:15 pm

    Where will it live??? It should end up in the quilt museum in Paducah, KY, USA after it wins a big prize there.

    Reply
  31. Mihaela says

    April 29, 2013 at 6:45 pm

    Dear Geta, thank you from the bottom of my heart! I am honored to have been a small part in this wonderful project!

    Reply
  32. Xementyna says

    April 29, 2013 at 8:32 pm

    Ta kołdra to arcydzieło! Podziwiałam od poczatku etap jej powstawania… jest wspaniała…

    Reply
  33. Madame Samm says

    April 29, 2013 at 9:44 pm

    sweet Geta…this is incredible…it is sooo beautiful. I cannot find the words to describe it..it is huge..good to see you near it….gives you an idea of the amazing depth of it all..wow..w

    Reply
  34. Lisa E says

    April 29, 2013 at 11:05 pm

    I'm amazed, flabbergasted, and so impressed with your beautiful work. Thank you for sharing this with us. It deserves to be seen the world over!

    Reply
  35. SewCalGal says

    April 30, 2013 at 4:13 am

    Congratulations on another amazing finish. I do hope to see this quilt entered and ultimately exhibited at major international quilt shows and especially exhibited in Romania. It is a spectacular quilt with great visual impact that draws in the viewer to want more. Great job Geta. Love it.

    SewCalGal
    http://www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

    Reply
  36. pasqueflower says

    April 30, 2013 at 8:40 am

    That is AMAZING, Geta! Will you and your friends share custody of the quilt?

    Reply
  37. Sharon says

    April 30, 2013 at 8:46 am

    Congratulations it is beautiful

    Reply
  38. Die Fischerin says

    April 30, 2013 at 9:42 am

    Wonderful quilt! I love it and your Blog too. Then I am a new reader.
    Astrid

    Reply
  39. Anja says

    April 30, 2013 at 10:13 am

    Your work is sooo breathtaking wonderful!!
    Can´t find the right words !
    Greets,
    Anja

    Reply
  40. Mareenchen says

    April 30, 2013 at 10:58 am

    Oh my, this is absolutely stunning! Of course you'd be scared to wash it. Amazing! 🙂

    Reply
  41. viridian says

    April 30, 2013 at 11:37 am

    It looks so 3 dimensional! Wonderful colors and wonderful quilting. I hope you are able to exhibit it internationally.

    Reply
  42. Cheryl says

    April 30, 2013 at 11:53 am

    This is utterly amazing!

    Reply
  43. Ann Sandler says

    April 30, 2013 at 12:24 pm

    Absolutely Amazing. This quilt is breathtaking. I am amazed that it ONLY took 3 months to piece. I hope this quilt finds the perfect home where many, many people can see it. Congrats on one grand accomplishment.

    Reply
  44. LindaB says

    April 30, 2013 at 12:26 pm

    I will echo the word that many others have used, AMAZING!

    Reply
  45. puntadas de una peregrina says

    April 30, 2013 at 12:41 pm

    Fantastico

    Reply
  46. Sewing Mom says

    April 30, 2013 at 1:13 pm

    Wow, that is absolutely stunning! I love it…great, amazing work!

    Reply
  47. Vickie says

    April 30, 2013 at 1:19 pm

    It's absolutely beautiful Geta ! I like that you have a picture of yourself with the quilt. I think it's nice to show our day to day selves on our blogs and your cute as can be.

    Reply
  48. Pat Merkle says

    April 30, 2013 at 2:16 pm

    Absolutely amazing! I love the story behind the quilt, the colors, the quilting. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  49. SIMPLESEW says

    April 30, 2013 at 2:39 pm

    We Texan's will store it for you, its amazing and beautiful and a great story, I cant believe ya;ll think its to big to use. Thats funny..

    Reply
  50. Sew Nomadic says

    April 30, 2013 at 3:29 pm

    This is probably the coolest quilt I have ever seen! It is absolutely amazing! I love the dimension and the story. Great job!!!!

    Reply
  51. Polly @ Helping Little Hands says

    April 30, 2013 at 3:33 pm

    This is really amazing!

    Reply
  52. Elsa says

    April 30, 2013 at 3:52 pm

    Oh, Geta ~ this is so beautiful ~ you did amazing quilting too! Totally and completely impressed with your skills!

    Reply
  53. Melissa says

    April 30, 2013 at 5:27 pm

    My eyes can't get over how this is a flat quilt, the optics are so well done! I love how it has turned out.

    Reply
  54. Pomegranate Quilts says

    April 30, 2013 at 5:54 pm

    That is gorgeous! Amazing trompe l'oeuil… Actually, I love how quilting it all in white kind of unites the surface of the quilt. Enjoy!

    Reply
  55. Robert Kepka says

    April 30, 2013 at 10:08 pm

    Wonderful! How did you design such a perfect sphere? Did you use any tools or software?

    Reply
  56. What Comes Next? says

    May 1, 2013 at 3:05 am

    gorgeous!

    Reply
  57. Lou says

    May 1, 2013 at 3:25 am

    S.T.U.N.N.I.N.G''!!!!!!! I think this is the most amazing quilt I have ever seen! Absolutely beautiful!! Congratulations! And thanks for sharing this exquisite piece…

    Reply
  58. Pat says

    May 1, 2013 at 11:43 am

    That is just an incredible quilt. Wonderful work.

    Reply
  59. claudia says

    May 2, 2013 at 2:33 am

    Your quilt is absolutely AMAZING!

    Reply
  60. Elizabeth says

    May 2, 2013 at 4:34 am

    Greta, your quilt is beautiful! I love, love, love it! And you are beautiful. I loved the picture of you standing next to the quilt. Thank you for sharing your amazing talents!

    xo -E

    Reply
  61. flavia says

    May 2, 2013 at 6:00 am

    ciao Geta!
    è bellissimo . è un vero capolavoro!!
    mi piacerebbe sapere cosa usi o programma usi per questi tuoi progetti?.
    grazie per la risposta

    Reply
  62. Julie Beard says

    May 2, 2013 at 6:07 pm

    Hello Greta and friends, I think you all did and wonderful thing. You developed friendship, trust and skills none of which you all thought you could develop or had! Secondly your quilt is now famous by sharing your pictures, skills and knowledge amongst the world you all treated us with such a delightful quilt and its story! Congratulations you all deserve a standing ovation. Julie Beard

    Reply
  63. Coach Tina says

    May 2, 2013 at 6:18 pm

    Thank you for thinking about writing a pattern for this in the future-this is spectacular!

    Reply
  64. Pat Pearston says

    May 2, 2013 at 7:01 pm

    Gorgeous!! I love the story. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  65. Aldora says

    May 2, 2013 at 8:49 pm

    Linda maravilhosa fabuloso trabalho. parabéns. se quiser ver o uma parecida no 3 D visite
    http://crochedadodo.blogspot.pt/2013/04/mais-um-trabalho-finalizado-com.html
    um abraço
    Aldora

    Reply
  66. Farid A Hamid says

    May 3, 2013 at 12:10 am

    Geta, this quilt is insane… congrats anyway and Happy Easter

    Reply
  67. Sandra Coleman Clarke says

    May 3, 2013 at 3:34 am

    Your work is beautiful. The sphere looks as if it is floating , so pretty. I have been to the Rep. of Georgia 3 times and one of our friends there died this week and I heard from them that their celebration of Easter is this Sunday too. Happy Easter, may the day be holy and blessed .

    Reply
  68. Esther Aliu says

    May 3, 2013 at 6:05 am

    Gorgeous quilt!

    Reply
  69. Terri says

    May 3, 2013 at 2:13 pm

    Congratulations on a stunning accomplishment. What a wonderful representation of friendship.

    Reply
  70. Irene says

    May 3, 2013 at 8:58 pm

    This quilt is huge! and shows an amazing work. Congratulations to you and your friends, you have made a masterpiece, that deserves to be shown in any quilting show or museum. I like the picture of you in front of the quilt, and your face doesn't look tired… I see it more proud! or perplex, perhaps… 🙂

    Reply
  71. ipatchandquilt says

    May 4, 2013 at 12:51 am

    I can only say that is incredible! I love what you and your friends and sisters have created!
    Esther

    Reply
  72. tahoe34 says

    May 4, 2013 at 2:33 am

    My jaw has seriously dropped!!! What?????? That quilt is mind boggling! Seriously!

    Reply
  73. Jeni B Quilts says

    May 5, 2013 at 4:41 pm

    Amazing! What more can I say, I'm just simply amazed! Absolutely gorgeous!!!

    Reply
  74. Herding Grasshoppers says

    May 5, 2013 at 10:33 pm

    Wow! Your quilt is appealing on so many levels – what a beautiful work you have made!

    Julie

    Reply
  75. Flaun of I Plead Quilty! says

    May 7, 2013 at 3:44 am

    It is lovely. The larger version has much greater impact than the small one. I would love to buy the pattern, if you decided to make it. The instructions would be very similar to the small version, so you wouldn't have to edit much! You already created the templates for the new larger version…

    Reply
  76. Flaun of I Plead Quilty! says

    May 7, 2013 at 3:44 am

    It is lovely. The larger version has much greater impact than the small one. I would love to buy the pattern, if you decided to make it. The instructions would be very similar to the small version, so you wouldn't have to edit much! You already created the templates for the new larger version…

    Reply
  77. Cattinka says

    May 7, 2013 at 6:50 am

    I saw it for the first time today, and I think it is amazing!
    KATRIN W.

    Reply
  78. Frieda says

    May 8, 2013 at 12:46 am

    Absolutely amazing! Your design and your quilting are beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with us.

    Reply
  79. Sew Create It - Jane says

    May 8, 2013 at 1:57 pm

    It's absolutely fantastic! Congrats on all the hard work that has gone into this! The quilting is exquisite!

    Reply
  80. staceyinstitches says

    May 9, 2013 at 9:26 pm

    I love this quilt, its truly stunning! The amount of work in it is mind boggling! I can't wait to see what the next one looks like. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  81. SewSealy says

    May 10, 2013 at 12:02 am

    I'm still staring…. my brain on overload….
    looking in fascination and admiration…
    I'm still staring….. with a smile on my face….
    Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!

    Reply
  82. Scrapatches says

    May 10, 2013 at 1:50 am

    This is a most beautiful quilt! You are so talented. Thank you for creating and sharing … 🙂 Pat

    Reply
  83. Live a Colorful Life says

    May 24, 2013 at 7:49 pm

    This is stunning, breathtaking!

    Reply
  84. Stephie says

    June 15, 2013 at 9:11 pm

    I loved reading the story of this quilt. Congratulations to you all – and what a way to cement a friendship. Beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing.

    Reply
  85. Elita en Suisse says

    June 16, 2013 at 10:01 am

    What a gorgeous quilt you ladies have done!! It's absolutely stunning! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful story of friendship.

    Reply
  86. poliana says

    July 26, 2013 at 9:03 am

    Размер впечатляет! Очень сложная работа, столько труда! Очень красиво!

    Reply
  87. Unknown says

    July 30, 2013 at 2:57 pm

    There are no words to describe how magnificent this is! it is perhaps the finest, most beautiful quilt I have ever seen.

    Reply
  88. Unknown says

    August 3, 2013 at 5:00 pm

    The illusion of the globe is perfect, Geta! I am impressed that it was maintained throughout the design and quilt creation process! Absolutely magnificent!

    Reply
  89. Faith says

    August 5, 2013 at 6:16 pm

    Absolutely stunning! I'm so glad you took a photo of the quilt with you in it – the perspective just blows me away – gorgeous! Faith.

    Reply
  90. Midwestern Gal says

    November 2, 2013 at 9:35 pm

    I just saw this quilt in person at the Houston Quilt Festival. It is indescribably gorgeous. The optical illusion is amazing!!! Congratulations on the well deserved award!

    Reply
  91. Mavis says

    July 25, 2015 at 1:13 pm

    Fantastic! I would like to see a picture of the quilting from the back at the edge of the sphere where the edge touches the flat background.

    Reply
  92. Fate says

    September 24, 2015 at 4:17 pm

    This is insanely beautiful.

    Reply
  93. Zareena says

    July 26, 2017 at 11:14 am

    Well Done! Lots of hard work and great you got a place for it. congratulations. Keep up the hard work. I have found a great, kind friend and God always bless her for the great service.

    Reply
  94. Ida M Bourne says

    January 30, 2018 at 3:44 pm

    OMG! This quilt is amazing! You are truly talented. Thank you for sharing. WOW!

    Reply

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