It took several purchases from Sewtopia to refine my fabric selection for 2718, including a special assist from a friend who had the purple print I was considering in her stash (it’s the one I ended up using)! Just like with Half In Half Out, I knew I wanted to stick with a single fabric manufacturer for this quilt, because I was going to be dealing with some very long seams for this one.
2718 Quilt – Fabric Selection
For 2718, I went with prints from Ruby Star Society (Moda). From left to right I used:
- Ruby Star Society Rashida Coleman-Hale To and Fro Tweedish Shell (sold out at Sewtopia)
- Ruby Star Society Jen Hewett Endpaper Tulips Blue Raspberry
- Ruby Star Rising Basic Alexia Marcelle Abegg Starry 2023 Dusk
- Ruby Star Society Jen Hewett Verbena Lily of the Valley Daisy (sold out at Sewtopia)
- Ruby Star Society Melody Miller Juicy Rattan Buttercup (sold out at Sewtopia)
- Ruby Star Rising Basic Alexia Marcelle Abegg Starry 2023 Sunshine
- Ruby Star Society Melody Miller Juicy Diamonds Moss (sold out at Sewtopia)
- Ruby Star Society Melody Miller Rise and Shine! Meadow Turquoise (sold out at Sewtopia)
2718 Piecing
I pieced 2718 in nine sections. Each section is the size of One Ninth, is comprised of 100 squares, and finishes at 20″ square. To piece each section, I started by creating (25) 4-patch blocks, then sewed the 4-patches into rows, and finally sewed the rows together – for a total of 297 seams in each section. With the exposed seams / turn and straight stitch technique, there is a lot of shrinkage, which I hope the photograph above illustrates.
2718
2718 is 60″ square and will be at QuiltCon in Raleigh in the Piecing category.
2718 seams. A meditation on what can be taken for granted; without occasional focus, what is taken for granted can fray and unravel. Each seam works to hold a quilt together, and together they are mighty. I shined up these seams (they are not raw edges), but here they are, asking to be seen. Looked at. Inspected. Thought about. 2718 is my ode to what is often hidden in the messy middle.
2718 – Color Matched Aurifil Thread
In addition to the sheer number of seams in this quilt, I also color matched 50wt Aurifil thread to each print. When two prints were sewn together, I used the darker value thread for the first seam and then changed out the thread as necessary for the top stitching. And yes, that is a lot of stops and starts for the quilting plan: 900 diagonally quilted lines equaling 1800 thread tails that needed to be buried.
Speaking of starts, stops, and burying threads, the final 6 seams of the quilt (one to sew the rows together and 2 additional seams for the top stitching times two) were 60″ long and required up to 12 thread changes. When I was piecing the quilt top, I opted to pull the thread to the wrong side of the quilt top, tie off the threads using a square knot, and leave long thread tails. The final 6 seams of the quilt took me two afternoons to finish with all the careful pressing and thread changes required. It’s been a minute since I shared, but I needed to recover my ironing board after finishing 2718; the time spent pressing each seam open and carefully pressing each seam under for a ¼” finish took a lot of time and heat.
2718 Edge Treatment
I really loved that to submit a quilt to QuiltCon this year three photographs were required: an overall photo, a detail photo, and a photo to show the edge treatment. There was one spot where the binding seam happened to magically perfectly line up with a seam from the quilt that I chose to submit.
Yvonne Piecing 2718
I spent over 3 months working on 2718, and I stopped tracking the hours I spent working on it after I crossed over 120. This quilt took a lot of time and energy to create, and I hope that when people view it at QuiltCon it sparks curiosity, conversation, and thoughtful consideration.
What I love most about 2718 are the thoughts I pondered while I was making it. Things like…
- Every day feels like upside down day to me…
- Might as well use both sides of a print!
- Rainbows make everything better!
- Fussy cutting the orange center print for the win!
- Just keep sewing…
- I (we) can do hard things.
- The quilting makes me think of a chain link fence.
- What do I want to create: bridges or fences?
- Bridges!
- What do I want to create: bridges or fences?
- We are stronger together.
Yvonne Fuchs aka Quilting Jetgirl with 2718
While I really love Half In Half Out, I think that 2718 is probably a better representation of *me* and where I am mentally right now. I wanted to explore if this technique could be done at this large scale to create a functional quilt (yes, it can!). I wanted to make a quilt that looked like something I would design (hey, that’s a kind of fun transparency!). And I really wanted the whole thing to feel raw but contained, which is probably the way many of you feel trying to go about daily life right now, too. It’s definitely heavy with a mix of some delightful bits combined with lots and lots of dogged persistence, tedium, and repetition (what do you mean I have to continue to figure out what I’m going to eat for 3 meals every day while also living in this dystopian reality???).
For more back story and details on this technique and series, visit my previous posts:
Linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday, Finished or Not Friday, and Beauties Pageant.
WOW! A lot of seams, thread and stitching add up to a great quilt. I enjoyed reading your post and your introspective look into the making of it.
I’ve been really looking forward and very curious to see what 2718 looked like and you did not disappoint! I was trying to figure out what block you might do after seeing the first two. I love this one; in fact, it’s my favourite. It must weigh a TON. My mouth fell open at the other big number—1800–tails! Nope. 2718 is not daunting to me but 1800 is because of what that represents, ha! I love that you worked in some transparency. You’ve described very well what a lot of us are feeling, though it also made me again reflect upon how those in countries with constant conflict (Gaza, Sudan) or new (Cuba, Venezuela) must feel in trying to find some sense of normalcy in chaos and destruction through no fault of their own. We CAN still buy food, still have power, etc… Now, my other burning question: is this going on a wall or on your bed when you get it back? :-)
Oh my goodness, the level of detail in this quilt is staggering! I wish I were going to be in Raleigh this year to see it, but I really enjoyed reading about the process.
I have been waiting to see what you are creating, and it is absolutely amazing. Your meticulous work is such a joy to see. 1800 thread tails! It is such a pretty quilt, but such a thoughtful quilt too. Your photo with the quilt is lovely. This will be a definite must see for those at QuiltCon!
Congratulations! Awesome concept, and your dedication to perfection and your persistence really show. Definitely QuiltCon worthy!
“(what do you mean I have to continue to figure out what I’m going to eat for 3 meals every day while also living in this dystopian reality???).” this this this.
feeding myself and avoiding covid, measles, flu and rsv, worrying about ICE raids in our neighborhood and increases in anti-trans violence and writing loving emails to fabric shops who are promoting harry potter licensed fabric as if the profits aren’t going directly to JKR’s anti-trans agenda. focusing on the things i can do — build relationships with my neighbors, especially the ones i disagree with, and host covid-testing and mask distribution, share resources, plan a spring garden that will help feed my friends and my household like we did last year… i’m hoping that folks who aren’t limited by severe disability, as i am, are doing these things as well. thanks for not pretending this isn’t happening.
That is so cool! and a lot of stitching!
Oh, my, I cannot imagine the time that went into this. Truly it is a work of art. Beautiful, and sure to be a show stopper when you enter it in competition.
Effort well spent. The quilt turned out beautifully! It’s always interesting to hear the how and why of your thought and sewing reprocesses. Fingers crossed it does well at the show!
Amazing! I can’t wait to see the final quilt next week at the show. Your fabric choices were spot on and the technique is so cool! Congrats on the finish and the quilt being in the show
This is a very cool quilt! It’s so different, and so interesting. It’s mesmerizing to look at!
Your attention to detail shines so bright with this series, Yvonne! I love your fabric choices, the new and thought-provoking technique, the quilting…It all comes together so beautifully. I love your new profile picture with this quilt, too. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this one comes home with a ribbon.
This is SO cool, Yvonne. I can’t wait to see 2718 in person in Raleigh in a few days, especially now that I’ve read about your painstakingly process and the intention behind this quilt.
I imagine a lot of us really like the look of exposed seams. As always, you’ve done such beautiful and meticulous work! I kind of went down a rabbit hole with exposed seams myself some months ago, and it opened the door to the entire world of Korean patchwork (bojagi). Very cool stuff.
This is so stunning, impressive and detailed! I can’t imagine all the thread changes, but so admire you and your dedication to the intricate. I love it. It is really an ode to the way things feel right now, inside out.
Structure.
That’s what I kept thinking about as I looked carefully at 2718 (even clicking to enlarge it up in a new tab), but while the lines might indicate a rigid structure, I saw it as a way to carry and contain, to support and to lift. Your quilt essay that accompanies this is so elegant and so carefully worded, that it becomes another structure to support all the emotions and frustrations and delights that our world now contains.
Thank you for this beautiful quilt, for your beautiful work and words.
This really turned out so cool!! Its fun to see your process and your thinking, but also what you thought about. I don’t think that we really monitor our thoughts, but I bet a lot of Things are contemplated while stitching. I hope everyone enjoys viewing it!!