The binding went remarkably smoothly, owing to my little Accuquilt Go Baby machine which cut beautiful straight strips for me. So, here's the finished quilt (I need a drum roll or something).
Here's the back. Choosing a nice patterned material disguises any wobbly stitching lines.
So, what have I learnt from this project?
- I don't like rotary cutting, which is a real skill. If you don't cut accurately, you can't sew accurately. This may well curtail any thoughts I had about attempting other quilts
- I would not want to attempt to quilt anything bigger than this quilt myself. (It is about 32 inches square)
- I like using the Accuquilt cutting machine
- I enjoyed making and sewing the binding on
- I still like the materials used in this quilt
- I am not a perfectionist, which is a slight disadvantage with quilt making. I am much more of the 'oh, that'll do' school of sewing
- I may attempt another quilt one day, using strips, but won't be quilting it myself, unless it is by hand
The biggest positive is that I am proud of myself for completing this project, my first patchwork quilt, and on the whole, I am pleased with the end result.
I am late to this - been away. WELL DONE!! Your quilt looks fantastic and definitely has the Scruffy Seal of Approval :-)
ReplyDeleteI do like your 'what have I learnt' list, something I tend to do in my head, usually after camping trips. Such a shame you do not like your rotary cutter BUT all is not lost, you can use your Accuquilt instead. Obviously you can cut strips, and you if don't have dies for cutting squares (for example) you can put the strips back in the machine at 90 degrees to cross-cut. Or you could just go with strips and make a few Log Cabin quilts!
You are absolutely right that without accuracy at the cutting stage, everything subsequently is more difficult.
I do hope you are not put off making more quilts, if only so that Scruffy has wonderful backdrops to pose against. xx
Thanks, Jayne. From someone who makes beautiful quilts, your encouragement is gratefully received! I am pleased with the finished result but I don't think I will be attempting anything bigger for now. Cushion covers, perhaps! I do have a scrappy strip quilt in my head, so maybe I can work on that now and again. I had to make Scruffy a mini quilt for himself as he seemed so pleased with mine and he has been sleeping on that. (It was made from pre-cut squares and was much easier to make - completed from start to finish over the weekend). It would have been quicker if I hadn't unpicked all the binding because once sewn, I realised I didn't like some of the material I had originally chosen - it frayed and was too thick!
DeleteBest wishes
Ellie
PS: the first quilt I quilted on a domestic machine nearly killed me . . . hence the longarm machine!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jayne. Good too hear it's not just me - how on earth could you fit a big quilt under a domestic sewing machine?!
DeleteA longarm machine is obviously the secret to a happy quilt maker!
Best wishes
Ellie
I LOVE it, I love the colors both front and back. Congrats to you Ellie! You should feel proud, it's quite a complicated design I think for a first. The few I've made have been what I call seat of pants quilting. Some where hand sew together, some machine. No special cutters and most definitely not real accurate cutting. I'm giving some thought to your idea about my table cloth. I quilt...hum. Not going to do anything with it in the very near future, but who knows later.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sandy. I do feel quite proud of myself, especially as I kept going and finished it (although there were some times when I wasn't sure I would!) I thought it seemed quite complicated for a beginner too, especially with all the rotary cutting it needed! Still, it looks good now!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes
Ellie