Quilt meets machine ... |
As I've shown my progress on this quilt over the past several months, I've expressed my concerns on how I was going to actually get it quilted. Many of you have shared similar concerns about working with large quilts ... and even indicated that you avoid them because you don't have the right equipment.
I am here to tell you ... YES YOU CAN!!!
I had quilted a queen size quilt on this machine before. My first attempt (posted here, here and here) was last year, and I ended up quilting it using straight lines. In part because the HST pattern works well with straight lines and in part, because I felt it would be the easiest way to get the quilt through the little, bitty opening of my machine.
This one, I wanted to do with a meandering pattern. I started on a small section this morning. I usually use a pretty tight meandering pattern, and I knew that I would need to go a little looser on this quilt (or spend a week quilting it ;-).
Once I got the hang of it, I started at it in earnest.
Rolling up the quilt, like you can see on the left on the photo REALLY helps a lot when trying to push it through the throat.
You can see ... ultimately ... there is just a whole lotta quilt! But finish it I did! Used about 1,800 yards of thread!
It still needs to be bound. But I am so thrilled that I got it quilted the way I wanted to quilt it ... on my little machine! I am no longer afraid and am already planning my next queen quilt (for my brother). With a little planning, a large work surface (my dining room table at the cabin), rolling up the quilt & having an extra chair to set the extra quilt on ... it went off without a hitch!
Hope to get it bound this week and then share some pics once we get back out to the cabin and it ends up in it's new home ... cuz this one is totally for me!
While I worked on this ... John went for a 14 mile run in the pouring rain and then came back to relax in the rain in the hot tub ... don't you just love the umbrella hat (memories from our trip to Istanbul in the spring ;-).
Have a GREAT week!
All the best
Lisa