Freeform Quilting Notes to Self (a sneak peek)

What? You are also wondering why nothing is getting done around here? Why we desperately need groceries and everyone's wearing mismatched socks? Well, I’ll tell you, it’s all my job’s fault. ‘Cause one day a couple of weeks ago, I was pulling some books to put on the nonfiction "crafts and hobbies" display, and I found a quilting book  I couldn’t resist thumbing through before I set it out, and within its lovely pages I discovered a quilt pattern I had to make right that very moment. The quilt called for big prints and there was a big Halloween print already calling my name. So I wrote down the measurements and I went to the fabric shop that very night and then I let the fabric age for a little while, as I am wont to do, but after the marathon I decided to work my quilting muscles instead of my running muscles, and my quilt is very well nearly almost done.

Except for the actual quilting part.

I’m only freeform quilting the center panel, since I’m really pretty bad at freeform quilting. If you look closely at my stitches you’ll notice they go something like this:
... ............ ....... – ----- --./ .'....- --- - --    -------------- -..~~

(They are really supposed to look like this - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

except for in a beautiful swirly pattern.) Probably I am bad at freeform quilting because: A. I’m bad at it so I don’t do it very often, and B. I need much more practice but I don’t want to spend my fabrics on practice and C. My machine is really not equipped for it; I mean, I have the darning foot and all, but the throat is so small there is just no place for all that quilt to go.

And this is a BIG quilt.

But, for your pleasure and my future (and similarly doomed-to-be-embarrassing) attempts at freeform quilting, some Notes to Self on the topic:

1. Feed dogs DOWN. Feed dogs DOWN. Feed dogs DOWN!!!
2. Stitch length is zero.
3. Before you start stitching, you have to bring the bottom thread up to the top. You do this by holding the top thread, dropping the needle down through the fabric, and then pulling the needle back up, still holding the thread. Pull up and a little loop will come up through the fabric—this is the bottom thread. Here’s the trick though: you have to cut the bottom thread from the last place you stopped quilting or you can just never ever stop pulling it. At least, not until you’ve pulled the entire contents of the bobbin out through the top.
4. Fast speed on the sewing peddle, slow movements of the fabric. Try not to rush.
5. Your wrists are bound to hurt. Be strong!!! Push through the pain!!!
6. Try not to stop and start—go for as long as you can. If you have to start, don’t forget to readjust the quilt’s bulk. Otherwise when you start again, the quilt will shift and you’ll have an inch-long stitch to deal with.

Until this quilt is finished (which hopefully is soon)...a little peek:

Comments

[heather hoyt]

So I'm hand-quilting a quilt, and your visual on how your stitches looked made me laugh because I can't stitch evenly. Which makes me think: why I am a hand-quilting a quilt in the first place?