Last week was a long week of computer work. Between preparing to release the pattern for Mum’s Garden and laying the ground work for the next few patterns (Sky Full of Stars, which will include instructions for this bonus quilt, is out for review with my technical editor, Cheryl from Meadow Mist Designs), I didn’t make too much progress on the bonus quilt during the week but, once again, I had a productive weekend.
Pieced Quilt Top
I did get the 50 1/2″ x 55 1/2″ bonus quilt top pieced early last week. I promise that when the quilt is finished, I’ll have a much better name for it, and thank you to everyone for the wonderful suggestions!
Pieced Quilt Top
For most of the rest of the week, I got to enjoy looking at my design wall with the quilt top beside my quilt ladder. Sometimes it is sad to lose the extra color when I pull a quilt off my design wall to baste, quilt, and get it finished, so it was nice to have it up to enjoy for a while. During the week, I would walk by and think about how I wanted to quilt it. My husband caught me staring at it one afternoon and made his own suggestion for the quilting which was a variation on one of the ideas I had been considering. His idea left all the starts and stops off of the quilt, so I was quickly sold on his idea.
Quilting Prep
Layering the quilt top on batting, I moved it to my kitchen table and I spent an afternoon marking out quilting lines with my hera marker. The diagonal lines in the background fabric are to indicate where I will need to pivot while using my walking foot and the spacing bar / guide. I marked all the lines I plan to quilt within the pieced blocks because they alternate between sizes (a 4″ radius to a 1″ radius, for example) and I wanted to make sure that it all lined up well. I used my drunkard’s path templates from Jen Carlton-Bailly for the 4″, 3″, and 2″ curves, but I had to manually mark the 1″ radius curve using my ruler. Hmmm, maybe that’s a quick video tutorial I could put together sometime.
Start of Quilting
With all the marking complete, basting the quilt and starting the quilting went quickly and smoothly. I am using 50wt Aurifil 2600 (Dove) for all the quilting, which blends in beautifully with the Kona Shadow background fabric. I really like the interference pattern that is created from the echo quilting in the background between the pieced blocks.
Fingers crossed I can keep the momentum going on this project this week. What are you working on?
I like the quilting you’re doing, Yvonne. I have a question regarding marking with the Hera – when I use mine, I sometimes find it difficult to see the creased line (especially on prints). I assume this is due to my eyesight not being as good as it used to be, but I’m wondering too if there’s a trick to marking that I’m missing? I usually only mark a few lines at a time as I’m quilting.
I’m with you on this. Hera marker lines just don’t work for me; they seem to disappear after a little while or maybe it’s my old eyes. I have to use chalk or a wash-off marker.
I like that quilting idea! I know what you mean about having the extra color on the wall and when it’s gone it becomes so bland and empty! Mum’s Garden is such a great quilt design, congrats on getting the pattern written!
I like the quilting, reminds me of ripples on a pond in the grey.
Very lovely!
I see ducks….ducks in a row…
I have that same question piecefulwendy posted and also wondered if I even was using the tool correctly. You are so graceful quilting those curves!
Can’t wait to see the finish. Good luck with quilting.
The circle play is a gift that keeps on giving. Love the way you quilted it.
I LOVE this quilt!
I love that ‘interference’ too!
It’s lovely Yvonne, have you decided what your binding will be?
The quilting is going to look amazing! Hope you get to rest your eyes from all that computer work with some fun stitching in the sewing room.