Cathederal windows

[Lynn K.]

I am about to start a quilt using the cathedral window block. I have never done one of these and bought a book to make sure that I would be doing it right. I decided to do it in black fabric for effect. I know it says muslin. Anyway does anyone have any helpful advice before I start down this road. I really don't want to make too many mistakes with this one. I plan on making it queen size. :shock: Ambitious of me seeing how I usually only make baby/lap quilts. Any suggestions would be welcomed Rachel

[Lynn K.]

Hi Rachel, I tried making pin cushions once and I found that even though I was being as accurate as possible when I cut, folded and pressed the squares, I just couldn't make everything line up perfectly.

I do have a suggestion. I probably wouldn't get Kona cotton. You're going to end up with several layers to manipulate and it will get hard to hold and stitch as the quilt grows.

I bought a book on doing Cathedral Windows by machine (forgot the author's name), but I enjoyed the hand stitching more.

If you enjoy hand work, you'll like working on this. It's a great take along project.

Have a great week, Sharon in TN (quiltnlady)

[Lynn K.]

I'm nearing the end of a BIG cathedral windows by machine so will be able to post a pic in a few weeks... interesting, I AM doing the window "frames" in black... Kona black! LOL! and yes, it's heavy as all get-out!! I've said in other posts that I HIGHLY recommend starting with something smaller than queen! Big mistake! I've made a quilt for each neice/nephew (coined family word--niblings!!) as they graduate HS, and this is the first one I've cursed at all, and believe me that's happened more than once over the last year!!
But all that said, I think it would be a great take-along hand-work project.
Florence

[Lynn K.]

I've never made a Cathedral Windows quilt, but have seen several lovely ones. I was really struck by their weight. They seem to weigh a ton, even small ones. Can't imagine what a King-size would weigh. The owner probably wouldn't even be able to roll over, LOL.

Pat in Rockport, TX

[Lynn K.]

I'll be sure to weigh as well as measure this one when it's done! LOL!!

[Lynn K.]

Okay...! :shock: :idea: So what your saying is maybe do it little by little and maybe put it together in the winter when I am cold. Don't plan on carrying it around too much because of my back injury because.... If I already didn't have one by the time I was done making it I would have one? SO do so many blocks at a time then add then to the main blanket after so many are done. Maybe do like blocks of 20 (I just throw that number out thereby the way)?
Rache

[Lynn K.]

There is a nice MSN message board ...
http://groups.msn.com/CathedralWindo..._whatsnew.msnw

The message board is not used much...HOWEVER in the pictures there is a superduper tutorial!!!

I have made small CW projects (table runner with Christmas Fabrics) and a tote bag. But a gal pal is doing a queen size one using a green background and Asian fabrics...it is STUNNING. She works on sections at a time. I am not sure what she considers a 'section'. But I will say...it is heavy.
The good thing...once your are done a section it is DONE. There is no batting...and she is not doing extra quilting.

I think the black background will be beautiful. I would however...make sure you have enough black fabric. I find black is hard if not impossible to match if you run out.

FW

[Sandy F.]

I have never made a cathedral window quilt but I think they are beautiful. I had thought they would be lighter than a quilt with batting. Is there more than 3 layers of fabric. I think a cathedral window quilt would be a great way to use scraps. I like the idea of a take along project also. One of these days, maybe.

[Sandy F.]

I've done a CW for a decorative pillow top. I think the weight comes from the base fabric that is folded many times over. We used just a small square of batting to plump out the center color square. The border is folded over that square and we used our machine to stitch it down, with whatever decorative stitch we desired; but I think I prefer the look of handwork. I thought it resembled crazy-quilt, that way. By the way, the border folds over and curves easily because it's on the bias. We zig-zagged the resulting squares together, then sewed yo-yo's over the points where the squares met. It's attractive but not the traditional method.

[Sandy F.]

the traditional hand-work way creates the front and back of each "square" simultaneously, thus no batting (unless you add it as Lin described) but the machine way doesn't give you that benefit, you still need to back the quilt. I don't recall what the book said about batting, but I decided to use it b/c all the seaming made it very lumpy, so i figured batting would help even that out a bit. I chose something VERY light, but still the whole thing weighs a ton... which is ok, I LOVE a heavy blanket, and I do anticipate that my quilts will be slept under. This topic is giving me the encouragement I need to get the danged thing finished.
Rachel I think you're hearing this right... and by doing it a bit at a time, you can quit whenever you want, make it as big or small as you'd like! Florence

[Sandy F.]

I love sleeping under a heavy quilt but my husband does not have the 'hot flashes' that I do so I now sleep under a light weight quilt to same on air conditioning.

[Sandy F.]

ok I really didn't think it would happen this soon, but it's
DONE :!:

I had a really crappy/stressful day Tuesday, and early Wednesday learned that my neice would be down for a quick visit this weekend... it's her graduation present, and she doesn't graduate until next Friday, plus I didn't think I'd see her until July sometime, so I hadn't really pushed myself... but it was all the incentive I needed, plus I was basically worthless at work worrying about all the family medical issues, so I gave myself permission to just go home & sew! Beneficial in SO MANY ways!!
So I got the quilting finished by Thursday afternoon (as of Wed. I had done about 1/4 of it). I pulled it off the machine and took it with me to George's riding class, along w/ an old sheet to cover a big picnic table by the ring, so I could spread out the quilt and trim any/all loose strings... not wasting a moment!! At home that night, I got one side of binding attached so I could do some hand-sewing at a therapy appointment I knew I'd be in for a few hours on Friday. Pulled a pretty late night Friday getting the rest of the binding on, then took it with me to George's Soap Box Derby on Saturday-- I'm pretty sure I was the only person there in the 90-degree heat w/ a quilt on my lap! HA! (but it was in a bag w/ just the edges at the top so I didn't have to take it out or spread it out to do the hand-work! (didn't win the derby, boo hoo, :cry: but also thank goodness, so I was home by mid-day!) Finished the binding in the afternoon, made the lable, got that finished Sunday am. Then off to the laundromat to wash/dry it in their large-capacity machines (took all the home laundry too, to knock it out at once instead of the all-day affair it would have been here!) Got home in time to shoot the pics, find a box, wrap it, take a shower, & get to my other sister's for dinner & presentation!
So the pic of the quilt is on my profile, and in the gallery, I'm afraid I may have to start a blog to share more pics! I'll see what I can pull together this week...
and the answer to the weight question is... a full TEN pounds! Um, yes that's how much it weighs, not how much I've lost ops: :roll:

Florence

now ready to start something easier!!!

[karen f.]

Florence that is awesome. I love how the red gradually changes intensity. I'm sure she will love it.

Karen

[karen f.]

Florence, it is absolutely beautiful! You worked so hard, and it shows! I know she'll treasure it. I am impressed at how fast you finished it!

[Judy M.]

Florence, your Cathedral Window quilt is BEAUTIFUL!!! So happy for you that it's finished! Judy in Torrance