Thursday 28 May 2009

Forgot The Camera

I was so productive yesterday but forgot to bring the camera to download the photos... next time! Instead, I'll give you a sneak pre-view of the fabrics for the bento box quilt that I'll write a tutorial for when it's done. Being finished is kind of a pre-requisite for a tutorial, isn't it? Otherwise it's more of a quilt-along. Those are a lot of fun too, I bet...

Bento Box fabric pairs

But I pinned and quilted the baby quilt (stacked coins) so it's ready for binding, and I also re-visited the pink quilt, as there was nothing holding me back from finishing it other than the deadlines for the bento box quilt (it's for a wedding in July) and the baby quilt (baby due this week, not mine ;). I even have the binding strips joined already! So I finished the backing yesterday, and I'll probably pin it today.


Here's an old picture to refresh your memory :)

Is it wrong of me to say that I hate pinning large quilts??? I always imagine my rented hardwood floor getting totally scratched from all the needles piercing through the fabrics on their way through the sandwich, but so far, I haven't found any scratches yet (after every quilt, I lift it off the ground with trepidation ;)

I know some of you have recommended the basting spray before, but I have to say that a) I'm (probably unreasonably) suspicious of spraying anything onto a quilt when it's so close to completion, and b) I like to use pins as I can re-use them. It's my minimalistic streak. I might try the spray on a baby quilt some of these days, though.

A propos the baby quilt. I really really didn't want to stipple it, and I started 10 cm of a different pattern, but hated it, so ... I went back to stippling. I need to come up with something else, but stippling just seems to be the fastest (other than straight lines with the walking foot) - an important factor when the quilt has a dead line - and looks nicest for the free-motion quilting.

If anyone of you lovely blog visitors and quilters has some suggestions, send them my way, please!

4 comments:

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I have never used spray basting - I really don't know if it damages fabric or not, gum up needles ect. Most of the time I use my 3 roller quilting frame for hand quilting so do not need to baste. If you ever find out if you like the spray and the pro's and con's let me know :)
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/

Crispy said...

I'm a pinner too but I have carpeting. I have pinned the quilt to the floor a few times LOL. I just LOVE your Bento Box fabric pairs, it's going to be a stunner!!

Crispy

Cheryl Arkison said...

I'm leery of spray basting too. I move my quilts around too much that I just don't trust it. Plus, it's just more chemicals. I pin baste smaller quilts on the kitchen floor (crappy vinyl) or on some old tables, already covered in nicks. Big ones I either take to a long armer to baste or I use large tables at work (the boardroom after hours) or a couple of shops around here let you use their class tables if nothing is going on.

As for alternatives to stippling, there are lots! Loops, wavy lines, concentric shapes, zig zags... all can be done free motion.

Barb said...

Stippling is my comfort zone but I have geared away from it recently and have liked the outcome with my walking foot.