Operating: Batting

Batting! Lots and lots and lots of batting!

I hung it from my bookshelf to relax it for a night before I begin quilting unnamed quilt #1. I should really look into getting that quilt named. It kind of looks like a ghost in my room; a huge, bookshelf-shaped ghost. I really love the batting, though, all soft and cottony. This particular batting is Dream Cotton; it's not very heavy, which is good for this particular quilt, which is going to be machine quilted, but the next one is going with me to the UK so I was thinking about getting a heavier batting for it.


Next on my list of things are the two machine quilted samples that I made. I'm binding the nine-square for Ch. because he needs something to keep his lucky bamboo on, and the four square is not getting bound. The nine-square has an Orange Peel pattern quilted on, with the walking foot, and the four-square has a template fleur-de-lis that was done freemotion.

So I had a lot of fun with the freemotion, but I need a lot more practice with it because it's predictably a little bit difficult. But I can write my name! I prefer the walking foot machine quilting. I'm really looking forward, though, to learning how to handstitch, because that's what I'll have the resources for in the UK, since I'm not taking my machine with me.

Over and out~

Operating: Quilt 1

I managed to finally get over to the store to pick up my fabric for my inner border and my binding today. I would have pictures only I got lazy; but I did manage to get my inner border on and my outer border cut. The binding I won't tackle again until I'm actually ready to bind, instead of just quilt.

I also got the stuff for my backing which sort of makes this project seem more real to me. I don't know how that is, considering I've spent a month with it; piecing and with another week and a half of it lying on my bed while I took my machine quilting class.

In other news, all the ladies at the quilt store seem ready to adopt me. I came in with my top and everyone ooo'd and ahhh'd over it, and after telling me that it really looked nice (I'm really pleased with it, too) they kept going on about how excited they are that I'm getting into quilting.

I guess I'm really a young quilter. My beginning class had three people and two of them were well, well, well over the age of my mother. My boss says I'm going to turn into an old lady. But I don't care. I really am having a good time with this hobby! It's just so much fun; way more fun than sewing, maybe because I'm just a beginner and everything so far has been so lovely and enjoyable, but I don't think so.

I'm planning quilt two already. K. sent me a bunch of bluebird print quilt fabric for my birthday and I'm on a rhyme kick, so we'll see what comes out of it.

Over and out~

Operating: Binding

Observe my ineptitude at cutting bias binding.

So this is my first attempt; I could swear I did exactly what my teacher told me to do. But when I was cutting it, I kept thinking that it wasn't the best technique because wouldn't every fold create an angle? But alas, I did it anyway.



Anyway, I'll head over to Bella's tomorrow and see if someone can explain it to me again. Further, I need to get my border for quilt number one that is as of yet unnamed. That and the backing and the fabric for the binding.

The straight binding, by the way, is the one that my teacher did for me as an example. Also, I'm in love with my rotary cutter.

Over and out~

Operating: Quilt 1

Heydo ho.

So I got involved in this quilting thing out of pure whim and now I've been sucked in. It's the most addicting thing ever. How is there a drug problem in this country? Don't people know they should just take up quilting? It'll cost you about the same amount of money, in the long run.

Here's the first one. This is just the basic quiltop; I haven't even added a border, let alone actually quilted anything.



I'm both proud and horrified. There are a couple of spots where the corners aren't neat but I don't want to pick it apart. But I think it looks pretty good for a beginner's sampler quilt (also note it's upside down, I didn't even notice)

Over and out~