BLOG 236

BLOG 236

 My daughter’s throw for her settee is well under way now. I have spent the week using the last bits of the main fabric and the size has been adjusted accordingly. It went together very well and here it is after the three layers have been put together. I have used Warm and Natural batting and there is a luscious red spotted fabric on the back. Only the quilting to do now and this I will do using a free motion foot and orange thread.

 

                                                       Tessa’s throw

                                                               Detail

 For starters, after pinning it very securely, I have gone round the outside edge with a long stitch. This is just to keep the edges level and to stop the top from shifting whilst I sew. I always try out quilting patterns with pencil first to get the feel of what I want to do and after I have chosen the one that flows well, I make a start. I chose the one I have fenced in the centre of the page.

                                                            Quilting ideas

 

I started at one corner and worked my way across the quilt and this took 6 hours over 2 days. It was a good job I was attending a yoga class on Friday, to stretch the knotted shoulders and re-align the stiff neck. Who says that quilting isn’t bad for your health?!!

 

                                                           Quilting

In situ

 

I have had my ‘Lady of the Lake’ quilt back from being quilted on a long-arm quilting machine, ‘quilting by cheque book’ as it is affectionately known. It was not cheap at £130:00 but I am thrilled with the results. Diane at Castle Court Quilters quilted it for me and she is such a perfectionist. One of my corners was a bit out, causing a distortion and so she spent a day unpicking two seams and readjusting them with basting stitches (I was charged extra for that and rightly so for wrongly sewn!). She quilted over the top of these stitches and all I had to do was to re-sew the seam by applique from the top and remove the basting stitches to complete. After binding and a couple of local show-and-tells it has found its place on the bed. Delighted of Nercwys!

 

                                                                  Lady of the Lake

 And my treat this week? I have spent time doing a jigsaw loaned by a friend. It is called ‘Cats in the Craft room’ and, with 1000 pieces, it was hard going at times. Here’s proof that I finished it!

 

                                                                       Jigsaw