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| The Square Deal baby quilt |
As frequently happens, I nearly drove myself crazy with the quilting. It needed to keep the quilt together and hold up to rigorous use. Additionally, it needed to be simple with a minimum of starts and stops. Burying threads is such a time consumer.
The inner border is SID with matching thread. This is my usual way to keep the line straight through all the subsequent quilting.
After asking my small group, I determined to try a squared-off spiral. It was a disaster. Not only were my "straight" lines wobbly, they were also too far apart. In desperation I switched to a regular spiral. It didn't seem like it would work well but I was wrong about that, too. It looks great. Yes, those curved lines are wobbly but I bet you can't tell!
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| Detail of the Square Deal baby quilt |
The main back fabric was too short and too narrow. A bit of another blue lengthened the base and the last of the border fabric widened it. The spiral shows up so much better on the back.
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| Back of the Square Deal baby quilt |
I've used this design twice before, but it's been a while. The first time on the Neutral String baby quilt and later on Spiderweb 3. I like it and plan to use it again. Echo quilting is one of the few designs that shows on patterned fabric. Spirals are a version of echos.
Quilt Details
Size: 40" x 40"
Design: Original
Batting: Mountain Mist 100% cotton
Thread: Blue and peach Gutterman 50 wt cotton
Quilting: Stitch in the Ditch and spiral, both with walking foot
Previous posts:
1. The Chinese Coin columns that didn't work
2. Making HSTs
3. Playing with HSTs
4. Square Deal block
5. Using the extra blocks
I borrowed The Golden Thread by Kassia St. Clair, a collection of stories about fabric through history rather than a history of fabric. Thirteen chapters cover pre-historic cave dwellers through the Space Age astronauts and include several stories, each beginning with a literary quote involving thread or textiles. That alone is worthwhile. Kassia writes fluently and persuasively; she based this book on some of her magazine articles.
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| The Golden Thread by Kassia St. Clair |
All in all, The Golden Thread is much more interesting than the news programs so I will be check her other book on color next.
Enjoy the day, Ann
22 comments:
Lovely gift...The quilting is so pretty--I've never tried a spiral...but I really like how it looks...hugs, Julierose
The quilt sparkles! The spiral quilting enhances the design. I'll look for the book. (I recommend A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire by Amy Butler Greenfield.)
The quilt turned out wonderful! The quilting looks great! I have not tried quilting a spiral either. I will have to give it a try with the group of baby quilts I need to make. Do you have any tips for starting?
Thanks for the book recommendation - I've placed it on hold at the library. Love the quilt and you inspire me to attempt spiral quilting.
Ta Done!! The spiral quilting looks fabulous!! What a happy quilt!!
Congratulations, great color and finish! It will be loved and appreciated, what more could a quilt ask for?
Your quilting always looks wonderful to me. And Yay! to another delightful finish! This one has such good vibes.:)
Love the large spiral quilting motif -- works SO well with this quilt.
I've heard a bit of the book being read on the radio and enjoyed it; I must chase down a copy. I like the big spiral a lot: curvy quilting lines with linear piecing make a good mix
Thanks, Julie. I’m going to use spirals more frequently since it worked well here.
Thanks for the book recommendation. I will check it out. My idea of good summer reading.
The very center is not a spiral and that made it much easier. I made an x to fill the center square and then started going around it. Just use the walking foot as a guide and take your time.
I hope you enjoy the book, too. Textiles interest me.
Thanks, Mel. You’re advice is appreciated but I just couldn’t get it to work. I really didn’t think a spiral would do much. Glad I was wrong.
Thanks, Janie. It was fun to make. Hopefully will be well used.
Thanks, Audrey. I spend way too much time worrying about the quilting but am finding these simple designs work very well.
Thanks, Julie. It was fun to quilt although I’m not sure I could do it on a larger quilt. I turned the whole quilt around and around since I used a walking foot. It would be hard to roll a larger quilt up enough.
Listening to it on the radio would be nice. A friend used to read novels on public radio. Why do I like that better than listening to audiotapes? Which I rarely buy or borrow.
I now agree about mixing lines and curves. Really, my quilting is much too hidebound.
Love the spiral quilting here Ann, a lovely quilt for a new baby, nice and bright.
Thank you, Maureen. Almost every time I finish a quilt I laugh about all my anxiety over it. The baby will like it.
What a beautiful finish! It makes me want to try spiral quilting!
Thanks. I think everyone should try spiral quilting. It’s though at the beginning if you start with a tiny circle so you should either plan to start with a darning foot and switch to walking foot when it’s larger or plan a different design in the center. I chose the latter here.
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