RIANE ELISE
I love that hand quilting allows you to venture inward and reflect on the making process, and yourself as a maker - almost like a meditation
When did you first get into making quilts by hand from start to finish?
My first quilt was a scrappy queen-size quilt that I made with my grandmother in 2011. We pieced it by machine and then she said I would love it so much more if I hand quilted it. When she showed me how to hand quilt with a traditional hand quilting needle and thread I was overwhelmed at first, but I learned to appreciate the gentle motions of rocking the needle back and forth across the quilt.
Confession: That quilt is not finished, because it wasn’t until a few years later when I started using larger needles and thread (the Sashiko versions of each), that I fell in love with hand quilting. But ever since 2015 or 2016, when I started quilting with big stitch materials, I’ve made almost all of my quilts by hand. In fact, in the last four years or so, I wanted to take it one step further and I've started to really enjoy hand piecing as well.
What is it about the process of handwork that you enjoy?
I love how making a quilt by hand means that you have total ownership over the process. Not only do you know the piece intimately, but each layer of handwork adds design, texture, and a craftsmanship that is unique to you. I will never truly make the same quilt twice, and no one will ever make something the exact same way I do, because my handwork is unique to me. I love this about hand quilting. I also love that it allows you to venture inward and reflect on the making process, and yourself as a maker – almost like a meditation. I always feel calm, at peace, and free to be introspective when I’m hand quilting.
What’s your favourite part of the quiltmaking process to do by hand?
Ooh, this is tough! I really love hand binding, though it’s definitely the least technical of all the handwork processes. I like that I can be on autopilot at the end of the quiltmaking process and enjoy some low-key, fun and relatively quick handwork to finish a quilt.
Hand piecing a quilt is also really relaxing, and it’s so fun to see the small pieces come together into a quilt top.
Do you feel that slow stitching and quilting is beneficial to your mental health?
Yes! Absolutely. I think any time we can slow down and appreciate doing something with our hands, this can really help us cleanse our palate from the busyness of the world around us. Work, life, social media, chores and relationships all constantly vie for our attention, but for me, quilting allows me to cut through the noise and just enjoy the present moment. Whether you quilt while watching TV, talking with a friend, or just sitting in silence, you’re kind of stuck in one place, and your mind is at least partially focused on what’s going on with your hands. And those two constraints can really help free up space to be present. I think any time we can be content in the present moment is so beneficial for our mental health – it’s such a great form of self-care.
You’ve spoken about making with intention before. What does this mean to you?
To me, making with intention means cultivating awareness of the quilting process, techniques, and even designs. Many of my quilts are designed with a theme in mind. (For instance, the quilts from my book, Quilting by Hand, were inspired by travel and stillness, as they were envisioned from 2019 to 2020, spanning a time of both complete freedom and intense confinement during the early days of the pandemic). I also usually plan the quilting motif while I’m designing the quilt top, so I make space for being really intentional about the harmony of both design elements.
And during the making process, I think we can always be intentional about how we come to our sewing practice. Instead of treating a quilt as something we “have to finish” for instance, perhaps there’s a way to cultivate self-care (slowing down and spending some quiet time alone), or using your quilting time as a way to connect (calling up a friend to chat with while you quilt). There are so many ways to be intentional while making something by hand.
What inspired you to create your book, Quilting by Hand?
I like to design quilts in collections, where I can explore a theme and color palette across a dozen or so different designs. So, when the team at Quadrille approached me about making this book, I was really interested in different ideas and techniques for slow stitching, and I wanted to explore the idea of making quilts by hand from start to finish. Not only are all of the quilts in the book hand quilted, but many of them are hand pieced too, and some were made without the use of a sewing machine at all. I also loved exploring modern takes on traditional hand tying techniques, so there are some fun ideas for how to tie with French knots, cross-stitches and more.
Tell us a little about the process of making the book. How many projects in the book did you craft entirely by hand?
I love the bookmaking process because there are so many different layers (somewhat like a quilt), and therefore so many opportunities to be intentional about how it comes together. I started by designing a collection based on a limited color palette and design theme, then worked with my editors to fine-tune the lineup of patterns and techniques. Then the hard work starts: doing the math, writing the patterns and making the quilts. Once all of that was done, we photographed the quilts in my hometown of Denver, and the production team worked their magic to make everything shine. I was blown away when I saw the finished product!
There’s one quilt that was made entirely without the use of a sewing machine (Pines), which is definitely one of my favorites. Many of the other quilts were hand pieced and hand quilted, though I attached the binding strip on with a machine. I would say of all the work that went into making the projects in the book, 75% or more was done by hand.