SewWitty

I’ve bound the Alphabet Wall Hanging.

and the back…

and a close up of the binding…

I haven’t quite finished it yet. I need to put a label on the back. My embroidery sewing machine (Janome 350e) and I are having words. Ever since I did the firmware upgrade (to version 1.03) the letters have been stitching out wonky – little bits of letters missing. I can’t seem to find any information on what to do – is it possible to downgrade?

I wanted to make a card for one of my daughter’s friends and it was hopeless in the end I had to dig out my Janome 9000 and use that instead.

I spent the little craft time I had today starching the fabric for the wall hanging binding.

I’m back to working on my alphabet wall hanging…

In the above photo I’ve pin basted (not enough, but more of that later) the quilt and I’m using YLI ‘rinse away’ thread to put in some anchoring lines.

I found that starching the fabric (both the quilt top and the backing fabric) and using the anchoring lines made the quilting much easier. Although, I still have one pucker and a few lumpy bits.

I decided to use a double diagonal quilting pattern – why do I always make more work for myself?

Sorry for the image – I took the photo late at night and the light was poor. Here is a close up …

I do like the effect of the diagonal quilting and I will certainly try it again. I learnt, however, that I need to pin baste more. Harriet Hargrave in my quilting bible (Heirloom Machine Quilting ) writes ‘My general guide is no further apart than three knuckles…’ I certainly didn’t do that. Plus while I was sewing the anchoring lines, there was a bit of puckering which I just ignored. Why? What was I thinking? The puckering just got worse.

Now I just have to bind it and add a hanging sleeve. This is the first time I’ve added a hanging sleeve, so it could be interesting.

Oh and I just love that purple low tac masking tape! I used it to mark all of my lines (and one piece lasts for ages). Best marking tool I’ve ever had.

I went shopping (to my local Lincraft).

I bought Bias Tape makers, flower head pins and fusible web tape.

Why?

I watched the ‘Quilt as You Go’ dvd by Margaret Cormack – it comes free with the latest ‘Quilters Companion’ magazine. Margaret used bias strips to cover up the joins in her quilt and I thought they looked fabulous. At first I thought I would be limited to block based quilts, but she had some examples of her work and it was amazing what she achieved with this quilt as you go technique. So I’m motivated to get started on something new. However, I am determined to finish my Alphabet wall hanging first. I’ve cut the backing and the batting, now I just (ha ha) need to get on with the quilting.

So I made my 36 blocks…

Only to discover that my maths was wrong and I needed another two blocks. I made another two blocks. I decided to sew a strip of the blocks together and then join them to one side of the quilt. Aahhh, it’s half a block too short or if I still a block from another side it’s half a block too long! Too much to fudge it. Seam allowances you are my nemesis! Each block is only slightly out, but when you multiply the error by 12 blocks it’s way out.

Lesson learnt: It might be easier to piece block borders first and then the inner unpieced border to fit.

I’m feeling disgruntled and I want this quilt finished – so I’m going to quilt it and bind it. I will use all of those hour glass blocks (all 38 of them) to make a dolls quilt.

I haven’t disappeared – we’ve all been sick. I was so sick I no longer had new quilting ideas – not a good sign. However, I’m beginning to feel better and I’ve started working on my blocks again. Only 7 more to go …