Hand Quilting Since 1981 with Sue Griffeth

This week I chatted Sue Griffeth who celebrated her 84th birthday this year. Sue made her first quilt in 1981 and shared her perspective on how things have changed and what she values most these days:

Listen to the podcast or download it to your computer using this player:

Leah’s Quilting Friends News

During the podcast introduction I was starching and pressing dupioni silk fabric. I’ve been stashing away this special fabric for years. The idea was that “one day” I’d have a project to use it or “one day” I’d have time to experiment with it.

I’ve decided to stop hoarding fabric! I have a pretty goddess designed and this fabric would be perfect.

The only problem is I don’t have very much of this fabric and most of it is in odd shaped pieces. I need to starch and press all the silk to see how much I have and how to make the best use of it.

Do You Still Read Quilting Blogs?

This weekend I shared my experience of finding recipes and asked this question. Are you still reading, or do you prefer to just look at pictures, watch a video, or listen to a podcast?

Click Here to read this post and share your opinion.

I do feel like my work flow needs to change. The internet is changing and while it may get faster, it’s also becoming harder and harder to be found.

The best thing you can do is show your appreciation! I plan to make an extra effort to comment on posts and videos I find helpful. This way the creators know they are not teaching to an empty classroom.

Friendship Quilt Along Update

I quilted my first quilt block on my longarm this week! I’ve never incorporated longarm quilting into a quilt along. This was a challenge and I loved learning right along with you. You can now find two different quilting designs for our first block. Both are super simple and will leave your block very softly quilted, perfect for a bed quilt.

Click here to find the video for quilting on a longarm.

Find the video quilting on a home machine.

Click Here to find the quilt pattern and join the Friendship Quilt Along!

Quilting since 1981 with Sue Griffith

I met Sue through a very lucky connection! Ann Walsh was on the show two weeks ago and she mentioned her mom was also a quilter. I asked if she’d like to be on the show and share her perspective on quilting at from a hand quilters perspective.

Sue was game and we had a marvelous time talking about quilting and how things have changed over the years!

Sue’s very first quilt was very ambitious. She wanted to give her brother a special gift for the 25th anniversary of his ordination into the priesthood.

She found a pattern for a Banquet Quilt, which was a table with eight place settings, complete with silverware and placemats and food on the table. Sue added crystal glasses and extra food to the menu which made the quilt much bigger than the original.

This quilt was entirely made with needleturn applique. Since this was 1981, Sue couldn’t find quilting cotton so she made it from poly cotton blended fabric. Sue mentioned that it probably made it more difficult to needle turn because the polyester is less forgiving.

It took her two years to hand stitch all the food pieces down, then hand quilt around each shape.

Sue’s 2 x 4 Hand Quilting Frame

Sue mentioned using a very simple quilting frame. She used two 2 x 4 boards and pinned the quilt to the boards, then rolled it up and set it on two sawhorses.

I’ve been wanting to set up a hand quilting frame ever since my experience at Hart Square. I think I have a possible solution! So who wants to come hand quilt with me once a month?

I really want to hand quilt with a group of women and make it a regular event. So now I know I don’t need to find a vintage frame to strap to my ceiling. I just need to get some two by fours and sawhorses and set it up that way instead!

Sue’s Hand Quilting Perspective

Sue agreed that hand quilting is very perfectionistic, and she has ripped out stitches that weren’t quite right. We both agreed that there is something about hand quilting that is both very slow and tedious, hyper focused, but it is actually very easy to make mistakes.

Sue is most grateful that she is still living in her own home. My grandmother lived in her own home until 2010 and I know that made her very happy.

At this point in her life Sue needs something to get her out of bed and quilting is that thing. She says that she didn’t have a quilting she probably stay in bed until noon!

Most of Sue’s projects now are much smaller. She quilts small blocks and puts them together with a quilt-as-you-go-technique. She also makes potholders. But she still does all her quilting by hand.

I asked if she had any regrets about quilting over the years. She regrets not getting into for free motion quilting and mastering that ability on her home machine.

I was curious to see what and would say about what she’s most excited about for the next five years and she says she’s most excited about living at home and enjoying each day. She has many people to take care of her and new quilt projects to look forward to. I sincerely hope this is what I’m doing at 84!

Click Here to find more episodes of the Hello My Quilting Friends Podcast.

Sue was our oldest quilter to be on the podcast so far, but if you are older then why don’t you come on the show and share your experience? Or if you are younger but had been quilting for longer time that would be interesting to!

I love to talk to quilters of all skill levels, all ages, from anywhere in the world so if you’d like to be on the show and have a fun quilting chat please get in touch and let’s be friends!

Let’s go quilt,

Leah Day