This was made for friends who are expecting a baby in October. I used all Denyse Schmidt Katie Jump Rope fabric, except for some Michael Miller orange fabric I had on hand, and a few pieces of a thrifted pillowcase I thought went perfectly. Can you spot it?
The finished quilt measures approximately 37" X 50". It's the biggest quilt I've made so far.
I learned a lot making this quilt.
1) The importance of cutting correctly cannot be overstressed and makes the sewing part go far smoother.
2) Buy the largest cutting mat you can afford - mine is not big enough - I opted to get one that would fit on my sewing desk, but I should have gotten the next size up for use on my kitchen island. I think I'll be upgrading in the future.
3) Hexagon quilting is tricky when you can't sew straight. It's a commonly known fact that I can't sew straight. Even with painter's tape laid down to serve as a guide, I found this part hard. I did the lines 1.5" apart, which was what my instructor recommended. This made for a lot of quilting and took quite a long time. My lines are not terribly straight, but once the quilt was washed, it turned out ok.
4) My absolute favorite part of quiltmaking has got to be handattaching the binding. By this point, the quilt is almost done, and you can taste victory. I found myself savouring every stitch this time around, particularly because this quilt was by far the most complex - it looks simple, but 20 rows of strips was quite a bit of cutting and stitching!
On to the next one I go.
- Donna
PS - Have any of you used this fabric line? I found it a little bit 'shreddy' (I prewashed) -- but it turned out well - very soft after quilting and a run through the washing machine.
12 comments:
Pretty. ^_^
Very nice! I have been acquiring this line piece by piece as I see it go on sale. I hope to make something similar.
I'm so impressed with your quilting! I can't sew a straight line either, so I usually stick with free-mtion quilting.Do you stick the tape on before you pin all the layers together?
The binding is my favourite part of the whole quilting process too. :-)
Thanks gals. I got the whole line on sale from PinkChalk Fabrics. Gotta love a sale.
I like free motion quilting for the same reason, Georgia! I pinned first, and then used the tape. I'm not sure if this is what others do. Sara??
So gorgeous...Love all the bright, cheery colours for a new baby. Great picks (as usual!) Donna!
Lovely quilt! Very happy and colorful...some little one is going to love this.
I always hated using the painter's tape because I end up too close and get sticky on my needle. I'd rather use Crayola Washable Markers and draw my lines. It's the best method I've tried, and believe me, I've tried a million!
I've got a really cool template that has slots about an inch apart. You can lay it on your quilt top and draw lots of lines, then move it and line it back up and draw some more. Really useful.
Hope this helps.
So wonderful, Donna! Your quilting job looks amazing. Do you use a walking foot or just a regular foot?
I spray baste first and then tape, but have been wondering about washable markers. So terrified they just won't wash out the one time I try. That'd be just my luck! That template sounds interesting, Jane...
Another great job, Donna!
Thanks Sara. I use a walking foot. It's not a super high end one, but I think it helps. The manager at the store where I bought my machine actually suggested I go with the cheaper walking foot since my machine is also not high end.
Looks fabulous for #3! The binding is my favourite part of the process too!
Ahhh, spray basting - that makes sense. i was wondering how you would dodge all the safety pins while you put the tape on. ;-P
so pretty! i love it! i just got a FQ bundle of Katie Jump Rope and I can't wait to make something out of it!
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