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irritating but important week

Well, depending upon one's point of view, I just spend a week wasting my time, repairing a large error, or learning something important. I'm trying to look at the positive points.

My queen-size quilt is all ready to begin the hand-quilting, and I'm doing it in 25 sections -- easier to handle and portable. Also, the quilt will be reversible because of the placement of the 25 sections and use of 1" sashing on the back to cover the seams at the back. So, I got the batting pieces all cut, leaving an extra inch all the way around each section. Then I cut out the backing pieces, and used some lovely white fabric I had quite literally purchased by the bolt. I also left an extra inch all round with that. Then I hand-basted all

25 sandwiches, using thread to match so there is no risk of thread dyes transferring to front or back. So far so good. Then I began the hand-quilting, using the smallest bit, which is 12" by 12". (Other bits are 12" by 24" or 24" by 24".) What a mess! It turned out that the backing fabric, while lovely stuff, is simply not equal to the blocks in weight! The quilt would not wear evenly, and didn't "feel" right with the quilting.

So last Sunday night I tossed everything aside and made a batch of ice cream.

Monday I went back to the fabric store with the 12" block in hand, and bought new fabric of the proper weight for the backing, and then it was off to the laundromat to wash and dry it. Those HUGE machines do a very good job, and so long as I periodically open the dryer to un- sausage the roll the dryer creates, the dryers are good. Fortunately, when I can go to the laundromat during the middle of the day I can comandeer a very large and long area to fold the washed and dried fabric.

Then I went home and spent hours picking out the quilting on the 12" block and picking out the basting on the 24 others. Having used the same color of thread for the basting, it took very good light to get it all. I took the not-right backing bits, folded them, and put them with the bolt of fabric.

By Wednesday I was ready to cut the pieces of "good backing" and stack up all of the sandwiches. Then I got out a stack of DVDs to watch, and one old movie at a time got all of the sandwiches hand-basted -- for the second time!

Last night I actually sat down with the same 12" block and began the hand-quilting. And it is WONDERFUL!

I learned a lot about double-checking fabric, and doubt I will forget it. Yes, it took me a week that I would have preferred to spend quilting on the front porch with a pitcher of iced tea and neighbors. However, I have already spent so much time with this quilt that all I can do is shrug and figure it's only a week, and the result will be well worth it.

Reply to
Mary
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Reply to
Roberta

Augg Mary, at least you also learned to use a contrasting color thread for the basting! So sorry you had all the extra work to do! Barbara in SC

Reply to
Bobbie Sews More

My congratulations for your fortitude and perseverence. Your quilt and your fingers willl thank you even more as you progress and it all looks and feels 'just so'.

When you are going to spend all that time HQing, it had better be the best it can be. It's just soul destroying struggling with inferior stuff, no matter how good the intitial intentions were.

I chose a very busy backing for my latest wholecloth. In fact, I chose the backing first and wasn't too keen on the 'doctor's side'. It was only yesterday that I stopped regretting my choice of that busy fabric. Finallly, it is pudging out on both sides and is starting to come together. The wool batt is like soft butter to quilt, and is worth every last penny I paid for it. The dried plaster colour of the 'best side' works and the busy knotwork fabric backing is as it should be.

You will soon forget your 'learning curve week' and bless the decisions you made. I wish you warm weather, cool shade and the rhythm of peaceful stitching.

Nel (Gadget Queen)

Reply to
Sartorresartus

No, actually I again used white thread for basting. I once used a blue for basting on a -- thank God! -- very small sample piece, and had put it away for several months while I was knitting socks. Something -- perhaps the wee bit of humidity in the summer air -- caused a bit of the blue dye in the thread to migrate to the fabric. most notably where it entered the fabric rather than where it simply laid on the fabric between stitches. It may have been cheap thread, but now I ALWAYS use thread that matches the fabric for basting. And it IS a pain to remove, but to me is worth it.

One thing I did learn was to go ahead and buy backing fabric when I buy the other fabric, or to take samples of the front with me when I buy backing fabric.

Reply to
Mary

Howdy!

Okay, then: good for you, getting it the way you want it. Like what you quilt, quilt what you like.

I'm thinking, tho', that if there was a hard/difficult way to do make a quilt, this would be it. All that extra cutting, the extra pieces,

25 sections, quilting on small squares - well, as I say: quilt what you like. You said that now it's "wonderful" - cool! "You go, girl!"

Good luck, Happy Trails, and No calories! ;->

Cheers!

Ragmop/Sandy - learned my lesson after doing Dad's quilt in sections ala "lap quilting": Finished it, don't need to repeat that process ;-D

Reply to
Sandy E

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