The the long awaited Sunday outdoor quilt show was postponed due to damp conditions. Hopefully next Sunday will be nice and sunny and we can view the quilts hanging in the grounds of Stonestead Quiltery then. After a phone call to make sure that my quilting buddy was aware of the news, I spent the whole day at my sewing machine. The job in hand was my burgundy and cream Cobblestone quilt, which is a belated 40th birthday quilt for my niece. My plan was to complete the straight line quilting in the ditch around the blocks to hold the whole quilt together. Years ago I was told a great tip, which I still follow - to make sure I have a good supply of filled bobbins all ready and waiting. And I’m a pinner too, even though I use my walking foot. Putting all those pins in place certainly does take extra time, but I would rather do that than find a few puckers on the back. Do others bother to pin these long straight sections, or is it just me?
Pins in place for quilting in the ditchAfter stitching one long run, I take the quilt out to the back deck, throw in on the picnic table, pin up the next section, bring it back inside and off I go again. This is a big quilt to work with, so the excess is bundled on the side of my sewing cabinet, on my lap, and bunched up against the wall at the back as it feeds through the machine. I remember a seasoned quilter on TV using the term “fluff and sew” as she did machine quilting, and that is probably what I do. I’m sure that all the safely pins add to the weight as well.
Plenty of bulk in this quiltI’m pleased to report that I completed all the quilting in the ditch yesterday, and sewed all the ends in too. Yes, I’m one of those who like to do this, even though I make sure I take a few small stitches as I stop and start each row. The next step of course is to do some kind of quilting over the blocks. Probably stipple, or maybe straight (or wavy) lines. Any ideas? I’ve got some nice variegated thread to use for this part of the quilting. Whatever I chose to do, it will have to wait till we get back from our next trip away. While we are off exploring the wilds of rural and coastal Wairarapa, my trusty Bernina is having a holiday too, getting a well deserved service.
2 comments:
Oh, I sure do pin-baste! I sandwich and securely pin baste the whole quilt top before I put a stitch in it. It's a good idea to quilt around the blocks to stabilize them. Then you can really have fun with FMQ. There are so many great allover designs. I love making a sort of snail circle, working a large circle inward and then coming back out an interval away (not over previous stitches) to the next snail. Also there are great leaves, feathers, and fan shapes. It's difficult to explain them all, but if you just look around the Internet, I'm sure you'll see lots of ideas. You can find some good FMQ designs on Emma's Sampaguita blog at http://sampaguitaquilts.blogspot.com She's a custom FMQer and does gorgeous work.
Love your cobblestone quilt Jenny. I have made several of them and also stitch in the ditch and then shadow quilt around the center block.
Post a Comment