I have never made a cathedral window quilt but I think they are beautiful. I had thought they would be lighter than a quilt with batting. Is there more than 3 layers of fabric. I think a cathedral window quilt would be a great way to use scraps. I like the idea of a take along project also. One of these days, maybe.

There is a nice MSN message board ...
http://groups.msn.com/CathedralWindow---Classroom101/_whatsnew.msnw

The message board is not used much...HOWEVER in the pictures there is a superduper tutorial!!!

I have made small CW projects (table runner with Christmas Fabrics) and a tote bag. But a gal pal is doing a queen size one using a green background and Asian fabrics...it is STUNNING. She works on sections at a time. I am not sure what she considers a 'section'. But I will say...it is heavy.
The good thing...once your are done a section it is DONE. There is no batting...and she is not doing extra quilting.

I think the black background will be beautiful. I would however...make sure you have enough black fabric. I find black is hard if not impossible to match if you run out.

FW

Okay...! :shock: So what your saying is maybe do it little by little and maybe put it together in the winter when I am cold. Don't plan on carrying it around too much because of my back injury because.... If I already didn't have one by the time I was done making it I would have one? SO do so many blocks at a time then add then to the main blanket after so many are done. Maybe do like blocks of 20 (I just throw that number out thereby the way)?
Rache

I'll be sure to weigh as well as measure this one when it's done! LOL!!

I've never made a Cathedral Windows quilt, but have seen several lovely ones. I was really struck by their weight. They seem to weigh a ton, even small ones. Can't imagine what a King-size would weigh. The owner probably wouldn't even be able to roll over, LOL.

Pat in Rockport, TX

I'm nearing the end of a BIG cathedral windows by machine so will be able to post a pic in a few weeks... interesting, I AM doing the window "frames" in black... Kona black! LOL! and yes, it's heavy as all get-out!! I've said in other posts that I HIGHLY recommend starting with something smaller than queen! Big mistake! I've made a quilt for each neice/nephew (coined family word--niblings!!) as they graduate HS, and this is the first one I've cursed at all, and believe me that's happened more than once over the last year!!
But all that said, I think it would be a great take-along hand-work project.
Florence

Hi Rachel, I tried making pin cushions once and I found that even though I was being as accurate as possible when I cut, folded and pressed the squares, I just couldn't make everything line up perfectly.

I do have a suggestion. I probably wouldn't get Kona cotton. You're going to end up with several layers to manipulate and it will get hard to hold and stitch as the quilt grows.

I bought a book on doing Cathedral Windows by machine (forgot the author's name), but I enjoyed the hand stitching more.

If you enjoy hand work, you'll like working on this. It's a great take along project.

Have a great week, Sharon in TN (quiltnlady)

I am about to start a quilt using the cathedral window block. I have never done one of these and bought a book to make sure that I would be doing it right. I decided to do it in black fabric for effect. I know it says muslin. Anyway does anyone have any helpful advice before I start down this road. I really don't want to make too many mistakes with this one. I plan on making it queen size. :shock: Ambitious of me seeing how I usually only make baby/lap quilts. Any suggestions would be welcomed Rachel