Guest HIltonfamily Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 This post marks the conclusion of the geocaching quilt project. I am currently quilting the quilt and will have it finished in a few days...watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics was a great time to sew!! I have been reflecting on this project as I've sewn. The project was started in Mid October with the first packets of blocks going out 10/28. Over 30 packets of blocks were sent out. There are 320 blocks in the quilt. 960 individual pieces of fabric. 2 borders, very thin batting and a backing that I think reflects GPS tracking... Over 25 states are represented in the signatures. Additionally, many blocks were signed in far off reaches of Canada as well!! And 2 blocks were signed in Germany. I received many encouraging e-mails, snail mails, photos, a few treasures (Canadian tatoos, prayer flags, magnet, travelor and a fed ex envelope)and in the midst of it I was able to participate in a geocaching survey and talk, real time, with other cachers. Now as I sew and read the blocks I can picture caching events where there was warm breezes and more cachers that quilt squares, caches hidden only to find an on slaught of eager cachers waiting to join and too few blocks to accomodate them all, boys scouts who draw great aliens, a variety of caching dogs who left behind decrative paw prints, cachers who work daily around the airline industry just as my husband does, children who's first cache found them signing a square, reflections of the 9/11 disaster and the aftermath that seemed to impress on people what really is important in life, Mopar's square that looked like the pen bled..I touched it up and have wondered ever since if he's ok with it, the names of so many cachers that I've read about in caching posts, the square that is written in latin and I still don't know what it says and the square that is simply signed "outsider" with a tiny face and makes me wonder who this perwson is and if he always caches alone.....Anyway the quilt it self is something just to sit and read and smile over and over with. I think that it will make a GREAT tangible thankyou! Now what I am interested in, is other cachers thoughts on the project. The quilt has gotten so large that it is difficult to clearly see each block....should I take pictures of sections of the quilt and post them so people can see where there square is? Do people want to send e-mails with messages that they want included when the quilt is delivered? Geezeeeeeeee Time to go caching! It's 40 here and sunny....bonus...time to get off the computer and outside!! DxChallenged Quote Link to comment
Guest Ttepee Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 I'll post all the current pics to this thread so that everyone can see the near final product. What a work of art! Quote Link to comment
Guest TresOkies Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 get it to their location and back (insured, of course). Just a thought. I'm sorry now that I didn't participate in its' creation. -E ------------------ N35°32.981 W98°34.631 Quote Link to comment
Guest HIltonfamily Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 Well I would like to leave the traveling idea up to the person who gets the quilt. There are over 40 unsigned blocks still on the quilt. But at this point I am really anxious to give it away and for it to have an owner. I've given many quilts away and one of my favorite things is justin giving it. I gave one to my daughters orthopedic surgeon after he did her spinal fusion. That was a year ago and each time I go back he tells me how much he appreciates the quilt... I have a friend who has over 100 quilts in her house. They are all beautiful but she just can't give them up. Too much time in them ect....I haven't kept any for myself...... Perhaps there could be another quilt project. I have learned a few things after doing this one so I think I could get it to run a bit better....although this one was/is spectacular in the the resonse and follow through........Then it could visit events or be raffled off ....Also the spring seems to be when geocaching increases around here........So maybe the signature part would go a bit faster. DxChallenged Quote Link to comment
Guest Clay Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 Debb, I think taking pictures of sections would be good so everyone can see where theirs is at. I already know where mine is, I can still make it out in the new photos. It might be neat to include emails along with it too. Clayton Quote Link to comment
Guest glenn95630 Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 quote:Originally posted by HIltonfamily:Do people want to send e-mails with messages that they want included when the quilt is delivered? I don't think it makes sense to send emails so that they can be printed out and included in a box that is mailed. I think you should take 8 close-up photos of different sections of the quilt, then box it up and mail it tomorrow. Quote Link to comment
Guest Ttepee Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 DxChallenged, The signature part would go much quicker in the spring/summer! Around here things are still slow. We couldn't have asked for better caching weather this winter...it's the shorter days that hurts caching the most. Then you really see an increase. If you are still game for making another one then I think we should try to offer you more help in the process too. I still can't sew so would have to depend on you for the blocks. How about you sew the quilt.. then go for your original idea of making it a travel bug. And the quilt itself going around and getting the signatures. It would save alot on the mail hassles of getting the stuff out to everyone. Now that alot of the geocaching community knows what your quilts are all about I think your original idea as a Travel Bug will work. It's nice to see with Gilbert that the Travel Bug can stand alone as a cache and still track it's journey. You could set it up as a traveling cache with more specific instructions. Shouldn't be moved till 5 signatures or 2 weeks which ever comes first. That way it would give people the opportunity to get to it while it's in thier area. Would need a reliable container to assure it's safety. I really like the whole idea the more I think about it. It would work! Quote Link to comment
Guest Mopar Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 quote:Originally posted by HIltonfamily:Mopar's square that looked like the pen bled..I touched it up and have wondered ever since if he's ok with it I'm pretty sure I thanked you in an earler thread for patching it up, and if I didn't i MEANT to, heheheheh. I'm more then ok with whatever you did to make it look better, only wish I could have done it the way i really wanted. O well, NEXT geoquilt, right? Cant wait to see how it all turns out. Quote Link to comment
Guest HIltonfamily Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 Hey......So the quilting around each block is done. I stitched around each signature so that the little triangles pop up a bit. I could have just left the yellow border but you all seem to think it looks so great so I felt compelled to add some intracite, real quilter, stitching to the border. I'm back to front quilting the sun, moon, and stars designs...looks very ok...! About the travel bug quilt....I have done 2 small signature quilts to go with travel bugs that came my way...around 24 to 34 signatures can be written on each...and I like that idea but a big travel quilt. I just think that it would take so long to get all the signatures...Plus I want to finish this one and then work on a completely new one...I think a kalidascope quilt. I've made 4 lap sized signature quilts like this geoquilt (but the others aren't as nice) in the past 6 months and I need to do something a bit different. But I like bouncing ideas around about the next one....I have a book on doing photo quilts. And I have also thought of having a yard of cotton material that each participating cacher thinks is cool sent to me then I could turn that into some kind of quilt. I wish that I would have gotten around and had the local paper do a piece on this quilt project. Geocaching is quite new here. We could really use the publicity. That way more people would be placing caches closer to home DxChallenged (by the way I had the name stands for directionally challenged...as i really am and get lost even in the smallest of towns...that's why a GPS really works for me Quote Link to comment
Guest HIltonfamily Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 Hey......So the quilting around each block is done. I stitched around each signature so that the little triangles pop up a bit. I could have just left the yellow border but you all seem to think it looks so great so I felt compelled to add some intracite, real quilter, stitching to the border. I'm back to front quilting the sun, moon, and stars designs...looks very ok...! About the travel bug quilt....I have done 2 small signature quilts to go with travel bugs that came my way...around 24 to 34 signatures can be written on each...and I like that idea but a big travel quilt. I just think that it would take so long to get all the signatures...Plus I want to finish this one and then work on a completely new one...I think a kalidascope quilt. I've made 4 lap sized signature quilts like this geoquilt (but the others aren't as nice) in the past 6 months and I need to do something a bit different. But I like bouncing ideas around about the next one....I have a book on doing photo quilts. And I have also thought of having a yard of cotton material that each participating cacher thinks is cool sent to me then I could turn that into some kind of quilt. I wish that I would have gotten around and had the local paper do a piece on this quilt project. Geocaching is quite new here. We could really use the publicity. That way more people would be placing caches closer to home DxChallenged (by the way I had the name stands for directionally challenged...as i really am and get lost even in the smallest of towns...that's why a GPS really works for me Quote Link to comment
Guest 300mag Posted February 10, 2002 Share Posted February 10, 2002 and the hard work. 300mag Quote Link to comment
Guest 300mag Posted February 10, 2002 Share Posted February 10, 2002 and the hard work. 300mag Quote Link to comment
Guest HIltonfamily Posted February 10, 2002 Share Posted February 10, 2002 So I have approximately 10" of hand sewing left to go. The the quilt is complete. The quilting went really fast!! I free motion quilted suns, planets and tracks of rotation inside the yellow border..It really highlighted the largest border and the binding (double folded french binding just in case you wanted to know ) tied it all in. Foo the Wonder dog always crawls up and lays on the quilts while I hand sew the binding down...but I could just imagine all these geocachers squirming because she was sitting on her square so I pushed her off...frequently...She thinks it's her duty to sit on each quilt I've made. I'll post pictures tommorrow. Closeups so you can identify your square and so that you can now see the completed project....Way different from just the pieced blocks!! I'm hopping that after the quilt is delivered a photo of the recipient with the quilt and the cachers who deliver it, can be taken. It will be great to post that as a completion to the project and nice to have a photo to have on the wall while I work on other projects!! DxChallenged Quote Link to comment
Guest Ttepee Posted February 11, 2002 Share Posted February 11, 2002 OK in the interest of trying to cut down download time on this forums page without having to cut size of pics so that anyone that wants to look for thier blocks, I have put the pics of the final product and the pictures of 4 quads of the quilt on a seperate webpage here http://users.bestweb.net/~ttepee/Quilt.html Good Luck, I haven't found my block yet, but man did it come out great! Quote Link to comment
Guest cliffy Posted February 11, 2002 Share Posted February 11, 2002 Debb, That looks absolutely AMAZING!!!!! You did such a good job on this project! I'm just happy I was able to participate in a small way. Thanks big time!! (I can see my square!! WAY KEWL!!!!! hehehehe) I'll have to post the new links to my cache page. Thanks again!!!!! You are quite the artisan to be sure!!! Quote Link to comment
Guest cliffy Posted February 11, 2002 Share Posted February 11, 2002 Debb, That looks absolutely AMAZING!!!!! You did such a good job on this project! I'm just happy I was able to participate in a small way. Thanks big time!! (I can see my square!! WAY KEWL!!!!! hehehehe) I'll have to post the new links to my cache page. Thanks again!!!!! You are quite the artisan to be sure!!! Quote Link to comment
Guest Clay Posted February 11, 2002 Share Posted February 11, 2002 Debb, That is incredible. You did a fantastic job on it. I too feel so blessed that I could be a part of it. Thank You so much for all you have done. clatmandu p.s. is that Butterfly Girl? Quote Link to comment
Guest HIltonfamily Posted February 11, 2002 Share Posted February 11, 2002 Yes, the picture is of Butterfly girl. She is our resident photographer. She won first prize for a photo contest in school. Of all the Hiltons she enjoys being in pictures just as much as taking them. I will be sending the quilt out to Moun10bike in a few days (I'de like to show it to a few friends first). He's going to take it to a caching event on the 24th and at that time discuss with the cachers there the best way to give it to jeremy. I sat in on the chat last night. very interesting....the speed reading that I do with the journals for work really came in handy!! And I was suprised by all the instant compliments to the quilts DxChallenged Quote Link to comment
Guest HIltonfamily Posted February 11, 2002 Share Posted February 11, 2002 Yes, the picture is of Butterfly girl. She is our resident photographer. She won first prize for a photo contest in school. Of all the Hiltons she enjoys being in pictures just as much as taking them. I will be sending the quilt out to Moun10bike in a few days (I'de like to show it to a few friends first). He's going to take it to a caching event on the 24th and at that time discuss with the cachers there the best way to give it to jeremy. I sat in on the chat last night. very interesting....the speed reading that I do with the journals for work really came in handy!! And I was suprised by all the instant compliments to the quilts DxChallenged Quote Link to comment
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