My Cathedral Window Quilt

    ...it matches the paper tubes!

During one of our "girls' weekends" my friend Patsy taught me how to make a cathedral window quilt.  I am 8 1/2 years in...maybe I have too many hobbies.  She had already taught our other buddies, Jane and Janice, and I wanted in.  Patsy is on her 5th and Jane is on her 3rd. Meanwhile Janice and I keep plugging along on our first.  I don't work on it as often as I should at home because it's one of my "take-a-long" projects. Because it's all hand done it's very portable. I can carry a small container with what I need to make the white squares in the car, on a plane or sitting having tea with my stitching buddies.  So, much of the time it sits in the container.  Maybe this will get me going...or I just need to travel more.

It starts with a 6 inch square of muslin that gets folded in kind of a crazy way and tacked by hand.  This was difficult to start...but got easier.




The folded squares get hand-stitched together.  Some people make the quilt in even rows but Patsy taught us to work diagonally....giving it a really cool edge. This will make more sense when you see the picture below.   I started in the corner.  My friends started with the middle diagonal row of 49. (for a queen size)  I couldn't face that long row at the start.




Next is the fun part...adding colors. The small squares of colors get set into the muslin and the folded edges get turned back and hand stitched.

I am sure there are way better instructions available...or you can just call Patsy.  Just kidding.  Let me know and I can try.


The first row is one square.  The second row is three....and the next will be five....and on and on and on.

Every row of white squares allows for two rows of colors....in the row itself, and where the rows meet.  I really enjoy the process of picking the colors for the next row.

   Here is where I am 8 1/2 years later.

The longest row on the left half has 31 white squares.  I got this far and worried that I would die before I finished so Patsy suggested I start the other half.  When I get it the same size I can either join them and have a wall hanging or keep going on each until they are big enough to join to fit a bed.  For a queen size the middle row needs to be about 49 squares. (this depends on the size of the square you start with)  I think it would be beautiful hanging on the wall instead of a headboard...just saying!

Notice the funky pointy edge that you get by working diagonally.

I am adding the little beads
all the way around...just because.

One of the nice things about this quilt
is when it's done it's done....kind of a
quilt as you go.  And, because of all the layers it's quite hefty.

Stay tuned.

My Maine (pun intended)
stitching buddies:
Patsy, Jane, me (MaryAnn)
and Janice.