Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The Free Motion Quilting Project Week 6

This week, at The Free Motion Quilting Project Quilt Along, we stippled in sashing and borders. I didn't get much machine time - retirement can be very busy!


I made a small quilt (23" X 23") with 4 stars. Then I stippled each star. I had a few problems with stitches and I pushed it off to the fact that I was sewing batiks - wrong! 



I began to stipple the white sashing and white inner border (not batiks) - oh, the problems! Although I began with a new needle, I changed the needle, re-threaded the machine, changed the needle, wound a new bobbin, changed the needle, tore apart and cleaned the bobbin area of the machine, changed the needle. I used 5, yes five needles before I was able to stipple the sashing! 



 After I finished the binding, I washed the quilt.





The stitching isn't great - I finally stopped tearing everything out and just quilted. I think it will be fine since I am keeping it. If it were a gift, I'd either be ripping out stitching or starting over!


The batiks (stars and borders) are quilted with a tan Isacord thread. The white sashing and borders are quilted with white Aurifil. The problem had to be my machine and the needles - maybe the whole package of needles! The machine is stitching fine now!

10 comments:

  1. Retirement can be VERY busy!

    Cute star quilt ... and I think the stitching looks pretty good!

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  2. I think you should be proud if you decide to gift it. And don't you dare tear out the stitches! I think it looks great!

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  3. Oh, I look forward to being busy in retirement. My husband already is retired and I keep him VERY busy with a long honey-do list! LOL!

    I think your quilting looks fine. I do have a question though, did you have trouble with both the Isacord and the Aurifil? I stitch fine with Isacord, but have a devil of a time with Aurifil. Just curious.

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  4. If that was a week without much time to sew, you did pretty well! It's so frustrating when the machine won't play nicely. At one point today my tension suddenly went wrong, for the first time on my new machine. I changed the bobbin and it was fine again.
    I'm loving retirement and being able to spend more time sewing: I couldn't have done the Quilt Along while I was still working.

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  5. The stitching looks good to me, definitely not something you should consider tearing out.

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  6. You're quilt looks great, Jeanne.
    Don't rip those stitches. I think we're most critical about our own work.

    These are beautiful and good treasures to look back at it.

    Good luck with those needles. For my butterfly quilt I had to use 100/16 needles because the fabric was thick and also the thread.

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  7. So so frustrating! You are the queen of persistence though. I am very glad your machine is playing nice now. If only sending them to a time out would work?
    I think your piecing and quilting looks good, your scale is great.

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  8. I think it looks good. Nice little quilt

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  9. I think the quilt looks good! We are our own worst critics. I always walk away from the finished project and come back the next day. I usually find the mistakes are not so glaring anymore!

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  10. I wanted to tell you that your quilt is coming out amazing. I love the orange color you used. Your stippling is looking great!! I hope to get that good some day.

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