First of all I want to thank all of you for allowing me to take however long I needed to finish this project. I certainly never want to bow out of my obligations…but this was just not going to happen when it was supposed to….but I did want to finish this quilt because it is so awesome!!!
My last post was on cutting and sorting….Click Here to view that previous post. 
Now before I start stitching I clean, oil and load a new needle in my machine,
as well as load a bunch of bobbins…Now lets talk a bit about thread choice… Only a few things REALLY bother me…and one of them is too LIGHT of thread used to piece with…I think it is nasty to see those little light stitches holding your patches together….Always use a darker thread…and lower your stitch length. You should not see your stitching in your patchwork…it should be invisible…I stitch just a bit under the 2 setting. I am using black thread to stitch this quilt…and if you are using scrappy fabrics with light and darks use a darker tan or my favorite Aurifil 1040 which is like a mocha brown…
Layout your cut patches and stitch in sections…this block is really a nine-patch…
If you noticed I scrapped up my chains and left my backgrounds the same for each block…
Do you notice how I pin my patches? I stick the pin in from the left side pointing in toward my seam but I keep the point right at about the 1/4″ seam line….this allows me to stitch without having to remove the pin…you do not want to hit pins while stitching…especially if you are sewing with your JUKI and hit them while you are stitching at warp speed…You can/could throw off the timing of your machine…
Chain piece when you can…as well as chain press…this is continuing to press one piece right after the other, staggering them just a bit…(no pic 🙁 )
Pressing…I press my seams open a lot, but I did not press anything open except those last two seam when putting the rows together…These seams nicely nested with each other…it was a joy to stitch…not a lot of pinning…
I just loved making block after block of this quilt…it was fun seeing how different they all looked after they were stitched…
Now after spending a lot of time with these blocks it was obvious to me that I needed something to settle them down a bit…I am talking about sashing…the directions call for scrappy sashing….and well like I said I needed something to calm these blocks down a bit and make them work all together and to accomplish that it just needed a simple solid black sashing! It would have been distracting, no place for your eyes to rest, if I used all the prints so I am so happy how the solid looks…
For the cornerstones I decided to put a little gold in the center to repeat my gold in the center of the blocks…
Stitching and pressing the sashing…
When I was all done….I then made another decision…I wanted this quilt to be big! I want it on my bed…king size….so I added 10 1/2″ borders of a new print from my next line of fabric…I had just enough as you know this fabric is not on the bolt yet…It was so close…that it was meant to be!!!
Now look what that border did!!! It added a lot more interest with the sashing separating all the blocks and then from the border and now I have a huge quilt for my bed! I will show you a picture after it has been quilted but I know a few of you are asking about this black quilt and wanted to know how it turned out…
While I was piecing this quilt it’s name came to me…Stairway to Heaven…
all for now…LB
I know some of you asked if I was going to kit this quilt…the answer is I can’t…I made if from my fabric collection…but we could pull together fabrics from our reproduction fabrics at the shop….just let us know.
What a beautiful quilt. Love it! The name says it all. Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful quilt! I really like it!
A beautiful quilt. Love how it all pulls together.
It’s just beautiful Lisa!
Thanks for your very informative weblog. Fun to read and look at the blocks coming together to make a beautiful quilt. Can’t wait to see it quilted!
Hope your vaca to FL was therapeutic…..looks like it was!
Sewing with you, Joan Sent from my iPad
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Gorgeous quilt! Can’t wait to see it quilted.
Just beautiful, love it.
Beyond beautiful!! I love reading the step by step and “tricks”. What a great name too <3
I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS! Will you make a kit that is similar???
yes…we can do similar…LB lol….
Love how yours turned out this was a fun quilt to make.
As usual – brilliant! Thank you for sharing your process with us!
Hi Lisa…As always, your taste and work is impeccable! I love, love, love it! In the end…you gave it a perfect name. Hugs to you…Sharon
Lisa, this is wonderful. I love the timing – I got up this morning and was going to start on this today! Can you tell me- on your juki- do you find a perfect 1/4″ to be a little wider than the width of the foot? i keep testing and monkeying with this. I see you have the magnetic guide on there. Love the name, I imagine your sewing machine is your refuge.
Love the quilt, the name is perfect.
I am very interested in your seam guide on your machine. Can you please show/explain? Do you sell them?
You are the BEST!
MeMe – These guide as are magnetic and stick to your machine. You’ll like it! I’ve had one for years and I see they are still around at your local fabric store or Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Dritz-626-Magnetic-Seam-Guide/dp/B000YZ8N6Y
Oh I see Primitive Gatherings sells it too and at a good price 🙂
http://www.primitivegatherings.us/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=17950
Thanks, Daisy
Your quilt top is lovely! I love the blacks. Thanks for sharing. The border fabric is great, what line will it be in? I am excited to be getting my Homestead Gatherings fabrics soon that I ordered from your shop. Your wide backings look amazing. I told my favorite quilt shop they better order some. They had ordered your Floral Gatherings line and when I saw them in person, oh my I had to buy yardage of all the prints they were so pretty. Thanks for all that you do. Have a great day!
Lisa
WOW!!!! Amazing, as always!
It is just lovely Lisa, it make me think of bumblebees. Perhaps Dance of the Bumblebees could be a name if you haven’t decided on one yet.
Once upon a time I totally hand pieced and quilted a wall quilt while on a life saving mission at the Mayo Clinic. Quilting mends our soul and that is what you are doing. Your quilt is beautiful Lisa; well worth the wait, and your quilt name is perfect. (I named my wall quilt…simply…Mayo.) Hang in there.
Kathy G.
This is my favorite version that I have seen.
I really like this! and thanx for all the tips. I will be changing the way I cut. I missed you in Lancaster, hope you had a great time. I told your sister-in-law to tell you I won a blue ribbon for your ‘Fall Frolic’. Thanx for making that possible. L
Lisa, your quilt is stunning! Thanks for all the tips!! Look forward to seeing it quilted.
Oh Lisa this quilt is fabulous. Perfect name too! Thanks for all the great tips, I am interested in your 1/4″ seam guide, where can I get one, and is it universal? I am so looking forward to this one being a pattern!
Thanks and God Bless!
Jodi
Hi Lisa – I love your new quilt… Where can we get a pattern for it. You mentioned you were going out to look for the magazine, but I didn’t see the name of it. Help please, it sounds like a lot of people would like to make it. Thanks and keep up the great work.. Linda
Your quilt is beautiful and I love the name.. I will buy a kit. Love the black and gold.
I’d be interested in a kit if you could put something together similar to this. It’s beautiful.
It’s absolutely beautiful! I love it in the dark colors! :0)
This is so striking. The color combination is rich and beautiful.
I think the solid sashing was a perfect choice–and so is the name!
Lisa – once again, you hit the mark. This quilt is amazing. Love the color/pattern combinations and the outer border has set it apart. I feel the love in Stairway to Heaven…..
I love dark colors and this is a gorgeous quilt! Perfect name.
Lisa your quilt is so beautiful. Just like the name if it! Thanks for your sewing tips as they are very much appreciated. Also thanks for the idea of adding another fabric (one not necessarily in the original quilt) to make it larger to fit a bed. I was just wondering how to do that for one I have. Can’t wait to see your fabric line! Thanks for the great post!
Another quilt with lots of interest. I love it. May I ask what type of batting you will use since it will be on your bed? The type of batting is confusing to me. I like a lighter quilt for my bed but my last quilt seems heavy and stiff. I only use Moda fabrics but am disappointed in how heavy it feels. What do you use?
So stunning, love it!!!!
Lisa, love your quilt. It is gorgeous. Thanks for the tips on thread choice that is very helpful. Missed you at the Lancaster. Quilt show but made many trips into your booth. Glad you are taking time out for a retreat.
Elegant…that is this quilt. I love how it all came together. Thanks for sharing your sewing with us. It made me smile all the way through reading the blog.
What a gorgeous quilt, I love it!
Lisa, I love it and as others stated your design and work is fantastic. I especially enjoyed poring over each picture to view your techniques (and in my head I heard you explaining them) I like the advice about how you pin it certainly has me planning on giving it a try I personally don’t mind pinning but it bugs me to stop and pull the pin each time to keep from running it over. I’m glad you found some comfort working on your project, quilting and stitching allows us to be creative and also it gives me time to think and dream. Love and hugs to you! Liz
That’s beautiful . . . its amazing what you can do with this quilt . . . .love it! Pat
Beautiful! I am also admiring the quilt you have hanging in pic 13. Is there a kit or pattern for that one?
I love your version of this pattern. It’s been so fun to see the different versions of this quilt.
Are you sure the thread you use is…….1040?????? …..had my shop check they do not show that number…….Sharlyn Dixon
Sent from my iPad
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I noticed you have some type of bobbin holder to line up your bobbins…did someone make it for …Can you comment on what it’s made of? Thanks.
It turned out really beautiful! Glad you found time and energy to get on with this quilt after all that happened. It was well worth it!
Lisa- where did you get the wooden bobbin holder in one of the pictures above? It would be nice to have one of those!
Lori…I’m not certain as of now, but this will be one of my 12 days of Christmas needful things… So I will be searching where I got them from soon…I will lappet you know when I do.
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