BLOG 258

Blog 258

Dilys’s Multi-coloured Dream Quilt Part 7

I made the decision last week to make another 7 blocks to balance the squares in the quilt. Those were the hardest ones to make having already cleared away the mess from piecing the last 65 blocks. Again, I had to iron bits of fabric, cut 1 ½” strips and join them together, resize and sew. What a chore!! BUT all the squares are done and many of them are layered and ready for quilting. I have selected 2 variegated threads so that the top one will blend with all the fabric colours and the one on the back will look colourful against the dyed fabric squares I am using. I have had to reorder these threads as I have quilted lots of blocks and run out.

BTW: I forgot to mention last week that I have chosen to use squares of dyed fabric for the back of the quilt. Each time I visit the NEC for the Festival of Quilts, I usually treat myself to a piece of fabric dyed by Heidi Stoll-Weber.  It’s colourful, it’s expensive but it’s fabulous. I have just stock-piled it over the years because I haven’t been able to cut into it because I love it so much. So I asked myself what is the point in having this fabric if I am not going to enjoy using it? I mentally jumped over that hurdle and started to cut into it with enthusiasm! (Though in the back of my mind I know that I am going to the NEC in 11 sleeps time and I will be able to buy some more!!!)

                              Fab fabric

The layered blocks are all going to be machine quilted with a meandering ‘fluffy cloud’ pattern which fills in the space in no time at all without being too intense. (I did toy with the idea of doing them all differently for all of 3 seconds, but then decided that it was too much like hard work!)

TIP: I usually practice whatever pattern I am going to do with pencil and paper first, just to get the rhythm of the design into my head and onto my fingertips.

                                                          Quilted block

Here are my thoughts on machine quilting: When you write, you pull the pencil across the paper which is of course not moving. When you do machine quilting, the needle (pencil) is forming the stitch on the spot and you move the fabric (paper) in relation to the needle. Successful machine quilting is a delicate balance of the speed of the stitch (made by the pressure of the foot on the pedal) and the speed of moving the fabric. Practice makes perfect and you don’t get good at something by not doing it!

                                                    Secret weapon

 These gardening gloves are wonderful … for machine quilting with rubber dots that grip the fabric. I only use the left hand glove and I lay it on the fabric to keep it flat.

                                                              Left hand

 With the right hand I want a good grip on the fabric so that I can guide it under the needle with confidence. I stop often with the needle down in the fabric for security and I adjust my grip often.

                                                          Right hand

                                                               Detail

                                                            Reverse

Here’s the pile of blocks waiting to be sandwiched and quilted. There’s still a long way to go.

                                                            In Progress

The next stage is to join the blocks together like the ones below.

                                                                  Front join

                                                                      Back join

Because I am placing the blocks on point, I have to make triangles for the ends of the rows and corners. More next week.

                                                       Placement

It’s a good thing to be quilting on a rainy day like today. After all,  I could be a squirrel.

                            Rainy days activity