I've had a few good days in a row, so I've been busy on the first of the mini quilts I want to make for a few peoples Christmas pressies. Thankfully all my naps have been right after I ate, and whenever I sat on the sofa, so not too many mishaps this week!
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Did have a bit of a zone out at one point, thought I was doing quite well then realised I didn't quite remember doing the last few strips... Sure enough when I checked them I'd put one in wrong side out. There's a reason half my seam rippers are blunt! Its called "Automatic Behaviour". Basically my brain kind of thinks "yep, okay, we know what to do here. Body, get going, brain, have a quick kip." Happens all the time. I'm sure for most people getting into a rhythm when doing something is a great way to get things done quicker and easier. Not me. No... that's just prime opportunity for screw ups.
Anyway... mini quilt no 1, top done!
I'm not entirely sure I got the bottom panel right, but I do rather like my monkey face :-)
Next step, basting the quilt top / batting / backing sandwich... I've got some basting spray to try out this time, so I'm looking forward to finding out if that's any easier than pinning the whole lot with safety pins. Then I need to decide how I'm going to quilt it. I've only just got a sewing machine that can drop the dogs and free hand, will I be brave enough just to get stuck in and try it out?
If going up and down stairs lots because you can't remember why you're there or because you did something else instead of what you wanted to do then I think most of us can sympathize! And at least you're finding the funny side. The quilt looks really cute, love the monkey!
ReplyDeleteOne question though as I've never quilted and am going to try and make a small blanket, what's 'batting'? Is it like a thin wadding material that looks like steam-rolled cotton wool?
I'm thinking of cheating and using a fleecy blanket to stitch the quilt to as the backing, would that work?
Why not try a scrap piece before going the whole hog with the freehand? Good luck!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteThanks for leaving a comment! Stairs, going from one room to another etc yeah, i never remember why I went there... Everything I do takes ages and I always start doing something else before i finish anything. But you've got to try and see the funny side or otherwise its just maddening!
Yeah, batting is just another name for cotton wadding. I'm fairly new to quilting myself, i've only done a couple, so I've been trying out different things as I go. I tried the polyester wadding, which made a very soft bouncy quilt that keeps its shape, but I found it quite difficult to overstitch. I've used the cotton stuff you describe once so far, and I loved it. The finished quilt is much more like a blanket, and easier to sew. Plus I'm told once its washed it will shrink a tiny bit and get that lovely slightly bunchy worn look you get on old quilts... I've got more of it to use in different weights to try out. I havent tried fleece yet, but its on my list to try at some point! Let me know how you get on since i figure you'll get there first :-)
I've tried some freehand on a small sandwich of scraps, it was so much fun! Still very daunted at trying it on a bigger, actual quilt tho... So much easier to just do another quilt top!
Loved your quilt! I tend to be a bit regimented and my last quilt (only my second ever) was 4x4 block. The block designs were symmetrical, by pattern, not by colour. No idea why I did it that way. First quilt I made was constructed from blocks but in a random design and colour. I don't think I have confidence to work outside of the box.
ReplyDeletewell I cant say I've considered myself confident at it at all! I just spend hours looking at other peoples quilts and wondering how they did it. One thing I hate is the hours spent drawing them out and calculating the fabric... I think the thing I feel most nervous about is always whether i've got the choice of fabrics right. I'm always worried they're going to look garish and a bit mental as opposed to co-ordinated and stylish... But as with most things, my mantra is usually "sod it. just give it a go"
ReplyDeleteMy first quilt was just chop up a load of fabric in different shapes (following the book) and then put as many together to make blocks then I just joined the blocks up trying to get the colours as random as possible. My second quilt I sat & drew out the patterns using the book as inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI just love the look of your quilt, the colours are fresh! Love the idea of working with white - my next quilt (when I get round to it!) will be for my son and it will be green and yellows on white. (Inspired by yours!)
Meant to add that I love your Monkey Face! Reminded me of "Paul Frank" then remembered that's a scary monkey face, then decided your monkey face was friendly like Curious George! :0)
Thanks so much :-) Its going to be a pressie for a a friend of mine who's been refering to her wee lad as monkey! White probably not the best choice for babies, but hey, its all washable! The last quilt I did used white as the background and I really liked how it made the brights stand out. I'm no artist so the monkey face was just tracing clip art... way easier than it looks, which is one of the reasons why I like it so much!
ReplyDeleteGotta love moneys!~STACEY
ReplyDelete