Monday 16 April 2012

Sometimes Life Conspires...

... against in your favour. Today was a case in point.

First off I went digging in the old toy box that houses a variety of things that I don't need on a regular basis, including a limited number of larger cuts I have that could be used as backings for quilts. A very limited number it may be, but in there I found this -


Okay, I know - boring! But it could work with the purple quilt. And it is really soft because it is a woven. And in the same box was a piece of wadding just(ish) big enough for the quilt as well. I might have to take a 1/4-1/2" off each side to make up for the 'ish' bit of the just big enough, but really, how often do you find yourself in need of backing and wadding and find at all on hand instead of at the other end of an Internet site waiting to be bought?

The backing fabric would remain boring, but it wouldn't need piecing because it was an extra wide fabric. That was another bonus. And how about if I quilted it with a contrasting thread so that the quilting really stood out. Another dig round found me a spool of thread for the bobbin.


You just can't argue with all this serendipitous good luck. Especially when one child makes cakes and the other volunteers to make tuna pasta salad for lunch. There was nothing standing in the way of me and the next stage of making my Siblings Together quilt. So I got on with the basting.

Am I the last quilter in the known universe still not spray basting?

I put my favourite toy on my machine -

I love this doohickey.
I tell you that every time I use it but I just like to reiterate the fact regularly.

And I got on with the job in hand. I challenge anyone who thinks that quilting is a sedentary activity for big bottomed people. I have been wrestling the walrus again and am totally knackered! I deem one afternoon spent FMQing a quilt as the equivalent of a full body work out. Be gone bingo wings!

My good luck ran out before I finished quilting. Exactly the same time as the last of the bobbin thread ran out with only this much of the quilt left to do.

Don't you hate when that happens?!

More digging and I found a thread close enough in colour that it won't stick out like a sore thumb on the back of the quilt. Soon after the quilting was complete. I went for a stipple all over except for the pink squares.


Those wee pink squares got some rather amateurish flowers.

But I thought it added a nice girlie touch.

It was quite hard quilting this today because I was aware every time my stippling didn't go smoothly. Not only does it show up more on the solid fabrics, but there was all that dark pink stitching on the back to make it stick out like no tomorrow!


All in all, not too bad though. I think I can put this down as a successful day.

Susan

31 comments:

  1. I adore this quilt and I am very jealous of your Stitch Regulator. I wish they made one for my machine.

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  2. A very good day indeed missus. I'm loving the wee flowers too, nice touch :-) (I too am very envious of your doohickey...)

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  3. Love the little flowers - not amateurish at all

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  4. Those wee flowers are the perfect finish for this very lovely quilt.

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  5. It's lovely - well done, a great day's work indeed.

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  6. You`ve done an amazing job - yea for serendipity!

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  7. wish i had the stitch regulator it looks fab and the quilt is gorgeous too :))

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  8. This quilt looks great! And to have everything you need on hand... just wonderful!

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  9. Well, that's one super day I'd say. You're not the only one still pin basting. I do it too and will for some time I think. Next wrestling match, would you do a before and after of your bingo wings? I can't seem to make mine any smaller :(

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  10. That seems to me like a very successful day!Well done you!

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  11. yay, it looks amazing, well done. I love the little flower effect and it looks great on the back

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  12. A successful day all round!! (I bet the cakes and salad were also gorgeous!) You're not the only one still spray basting - I only pin when I'm machine quilting...most of the time I tack and it must be one of the most boring 'jobs' a quilter can do!!! I think you deserve some wine and chocolate after all that wrestling!

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  13. Great day! It came out wonderfully! Good luck and good back up choices! Some girl will get a real kick out of your donation.

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  14. Yay for serendipity! Totally with you on the quilt wrestling right now though - ugh! Right, off to battle with the Stained top once more...

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  15. I'm with you on the stitch regulator - aren't they amazing! I also still baste by hand - with big tacking stitches - I haven't even got as far as safety pins! I guess i should try spray basting, but I'm just not sure I trust it!

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  16. Fabulous! You should be so proud of this quilt. Amazing how quickly it came together. Wow.

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  17. "wrestling the walrus" such a good description of machine quilting!
    Great quilt!

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  18. Good for you! It's great! Maybe call the quilt Kismet? It was definitely fate that brought the quilt to a succesful completion!

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  19. I don't know what a stitch regulator is, but you have one, so I want one too!

    Love the quilt x

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  20. A definite sucess. You have produced a beautiful quilt. Di xo

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  21. Gorgeous work on that quilt S. Two ticks for you today. I held out on spray basting for a long time (mainly because I didn't want to add any more expense to the process) but J persuaded me to try it a wee while back and I cannot imagine ever having the desire or patience to pin baste again. My results are so much better with the spray and because it doesn't take me hours upon hours to baste it I will actually get on with it now instead of avoiding the quilting because I didn't want to baste. I admire you for still pinning - but really I was so bad at it, spray has changed my basting life.

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  22. Love those flowers in the pink squares, not at all amateurish. So pleased you could find matching thread to finish it, how annoying to run out that close to the end.
    Three cheers for the girls and their cooking skills!!!

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  23. Who's a clever sausage!! Ab Fab quilting Mrs S!! jxo

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  24. Looking fabulous darling! I adore the idea of a neutral back so all that stitching stands out and frankly those gorgeous little flowers rock.

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  25. indeed you can - looks fantastic and a little girl (even a slightly bigger one!) will love this quilt

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  26. The quilting looks great, and I bet the recipient will just love it.

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  27. I love your choices and the little flowers are perfect! I want to see that stitch regulator in action, I don't think there is one for my janome. And good work teaching those kids to cook and bake, after all that quilting you need sustenance.

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  28. Gorgeous, the little flowers look great, very professional.

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  29. Looks great Susan - yeay for cupboards filled with things you've forgotten about!

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