Monday, June 16, 2014

TADAAAA

I'm happy!  I love finishing quilts!  It's such a great feeling to know that something that started with bits of fabric and thread is now something that will brighten someone's day, provide warmth, and beauty!

This one is a purple batik braid.  Here's one of the first photos of the process of making this quilt.
I got the strip pack, and picked the frame, lattice and border fabric, and put them with the pattern, Braid In A Day by Quilt In A Day. 

It was pieced on the 1954 Singer 15-91 in the rare trapezoid cabinet.  I sewed the frames and lattice and border on with my Viking Sapphire 850.
Here's the top, now called a Flimsy.  It's ready to be layered with the backing and batting, and pinned.
I did that when I rented time on a large table at American Ribbon.  The table is about 8 feet long, 5 feet wide, and is about 36" high.  It's great for doing this.  Many other tables are too small and not comfortable for standing and working.  The height helps prevent back aches, as each quilt can take about 20 minutes to pin.  I did 3 quilts that day, in about 45 minutes, because I got there late, and the store was closing.  Lots of standing, reaching, pinning, smoothing, etc, and moving quickly!

This is during the quilting process, showing the 3 colors of Aurifil thread I used, and Christine's Sapphire 835, which I borrow when I visit my parents.  Each braid section has feathers.  There are large "pebbles" in the darker purple frame, more feathers in the aqua lattice, and more feathers in the outer border.  Aurifil colors are:  Aqua (Ice) 40 wt green spool #4225.  The center is 50wt 1243, for the braids and border, and the left is 4225 for the dark purple frame.  I have a lucite table under the quilt that fits around the machine, to make stitching easier.  It's a larger flat surface.  I wear gloves, called Machingers, while quilting, to help hold the fabric and move it to make the shapes. The gloves are a light nylon stretch material, with rubberized fingertips.  I pull out the safety pins as I go.

Once the quilting is done, I cut strips for the binding.  Those are sewn end to end, to make a long strip.  In this case, 7 strips.  This is pressed in half, to make a long narrow strip, then sewn to the edge of the quilt.  I have a way to join the ends, then I trim the batting and backing.  I turn the binding over, and stitch it down again by machine, on the back of the quilt.  Here's the quilt, done.

A view of the backing, and the binding.
This is over the twin bed in my guest room.  Normally I tape quilts to the rail on my loft, and take a photo from the living room, but the sun was setting, and this room still had daylight.  I'll have to take one from the rail tomorrow.  

Thanks for reading!  I hope you learned something, and understand why handmade is better than store bought, and also why it's worth more!  It's also much prettier in person.  The fabrics are silky and smooth, and it just feels great as a throw or over a bed.  

See you soon!

3 comments:

VickiT said...

Wow. That's just gorgeous. I've been considering that pattern for quite some time now, but seeing yours in all the gorgeous purples now really makes me want it more.

Can you please tell me what the Island Batik pack name is you've used? I've searched two places now and am not finding that one. Thank you

Barb said...

Turned out wonderfully!!!!! Love love those batiks!

Connie Kresin Campbell said...

Beautiful quilt and love the colors!