Well, I've now made the quilt top, all 221 squares. The colours are slightly brighter than they look in these photos. I'm pleased to have done it; on the other hand, some of my squares don't meet quite correctly corner to corner, which is annoying, since I felt I was measuring and sewing quite carefully. Not carefully enough, clearly.
I've been modelling my effort on the lovely blue quilt that Anna http://thimbleanna.com/ gave me. WWAD? (What Would Anna Do?) has been my watchword. (Anna would make all her squares meet perfectly in the corners, is one answer.) Mysteriously my quilt top has come out slightly bigger than hers - maybe inches in America are a different size from British inches - you think? Or possibly she measured more accurately than I did - see above.
Anyway, I now have to get yet more material for the binding and the back and then sew these together and quilt it. In the last procedure I'm going to follow the WWAD line of thinking, and fortunately Anna hand-quilted the blue quilt in overlapping circles, which looks time-consuming but possible. I think my machine would explode in flames if I suggested that it sew through seams and batting and backing. And I really don't want to ruin the whole thing by messing up the quilting.
Anyway, thank you to Anna for forcing me to do this! I enjoyed it (mostly) and am now thinking perhaps I should try something a teeny bit more complicated next... but I'm not sure about this. Perhaps I should recognise my limitations. Thank you also, Anna, for telling me to pin numbers on the left-hand patch in every row. This made it so much easier not just at the beginning, which is when I thought it would help, but all the way through. I commend this to any other rookie patchworkers - it means that you don't get confused as to the order in which your strips should go together or which way up they should go.
look at you go, girlfriend!!! your flimsy is SOOOOO much better than my own first attempt at piecing - and i was taking a class in a quilt shop with experts to help me with each step - very, very impressive!!!
ReplyDeleteand your stash is a sure sign of drinking the koolaid - ha ha ha!!!
Oh well done, I am so proud of you! Hand quilting will be lovely but your machine won't explode, honestly, and actually the binding goes on after the quilting, hand or machine.
ReplyDeleteA slight difference in the width of a seam can add up to a few inches difference in the quilt top measurements. I use a 'scant 1/4' seam and have a feature on my machine which moves the needle in tiny increments to set the desired seam allowance. If your seams are consistent, you press carefully--seam allowances pressed in opposing directions as you join each row--then the seams 'lock' together neatly at the corner of each block.
ReplyDeleteMay I suggest the Log Cabin block for another project. The cutting and stitching is all straight--no angles, no trimming bitty pieces. The setting variations are many. I never tire of making them, especially when I feel my concentration isn't equal to a more complex pattern. Just finished two lap size, in different block settings. If you're interested they are featured in my post for Sunday, October 6.]
Isabelle, have you heard about the quilter's ten foot rule? If you can stand back ten feet from your project and it looks okay, that's all you need to worry about! And if a blind man galloping by on a horse can't see any mistakes then that's fine, too. I think you have done a great job.
ReplyDeleteIf it was completely perfect it might not look handmade - I thinl the odd mistake adds character! Can 't believe you've finished so quickly - my latest effort is sulking by the sewing machine waiting for binding.
ReplyDeleteWooHOo!!! It looks BEAUTIFUL Isabelle! I'm SOOO proud of you for sticking with it -- all while I was FORCING you to put it together ROFLOL!!!! You're a trooper!
ReplyDeleteAnd btw, there is no requirement for the seams to all line up! I know, you're like me and you WANT them to, but when they don't, just follow Jennifer's 10-foot rule!
I wish I were there -- I'd just give you a BIG Jumbo HUG!!!!
My favourite comment is Jennifer's! I need that blind man on his horse to gallop over here and chase me into my sewing room! She's right of course...It doesn't have to be perfect. The Amish deliberately include a mistake in their quilts lest they become too big for their britches! I'd never make it as an Amish woman. Bad enough the number of mistakes I make that are unintentional, but to make one on purpose? Shudder! Well done!
ReplyDeleteWell done ! Well done! It doesn't have to have an outside border - it could just be bound.
ReplyDeleteI laughed heartily at Jennifer's comments - guess you don't get too many blind men on horseback around your area.
What is quilt # 2 going to be like? Girly colours for Grandaughter to snuggle under?
Is the first patch on line 5 an off-cut from the bathroom curtains? D2
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