Ivy Twist

This is Ina's version of  "Ivy Twist" by Southwind Designs.  See all those turned edges in this close up?  They are all hand stitched down!  I couldn't put a panto over this one! But since Ina is once again planning on donating this quilt to her local care home, I wanted to find a custom solution that would keep the costs down.

One thing that adds to the cost of custom quilting is ruler work stitching in the ditch around blocks and applique.  I did not pick up a ruler when quilting this quilt, it is SID free.

The blocks motif avoids crossing over the hand stitching, and I decided a simple stipple was all that the background needed to make things pop.

I tried a "new-to-me" sashing motif.  I have long admired the work of Terri Watson over at Thread Tales.  She has a lighter touch than many other quilters, and I find her style practical, and perfect for quilts that are meant to be used.  I had tried to figure out how to stitch these "fat leaves" a number of times, but just couldn't get it right.  When I asked Terri for help, she graciously shared her stitch path here.  Not too difficult once someone gives you the step by step!  Thanks Terri!

For the larger border I decided to add a row of my newly aquired "fat leaves" framed by some stippling.