Work Completed

My Man ran away with my computer on Wednesday (That was part of the deal... I get a mini machine and he uses it for work trips!). But... I couldn't write my assignment. So...  I wrote my self a list of things today and settled into finishing Princess E's duvet cover...it took me all day.

I finished it in time to throw it over her as she came in the door from school. She promptly grabbed a "fairy book" and read on her bed under it until tea time. She loves the soft backing, a random furnishing fabric I found for $4/m from Morelands Fabric Outlet, in Palmy.

I started by pin basting it, which turned into to red thread basting when I ran out of pins.
(210cm x140cm x 1 pin/ 10cm = lots of pins!)

As for the quilting. I tried free hand quilting around the hearts but wasn't happy with the results, let along the process! (Did I mention I don't like wrestling big quilts?) I'm attempting to give up the fantasies of free hand quilting on large items but the dream isn't dying easily...

So I got out the walking foot and with the 'roll up the sides' method, quilted wavy lines, roughly parallel, (that's why I made them wavy - so they could be 'roughly' and it not matter!)

Project completed - except for a wash which isn't going to happen soon with ran and storms for two weeks straight at least.

Although, the sun is attempting to show this morning!
Yay - I need the boost - feeling a bit fluy and am planning to write my assignment all morning - it's due after the school holiday, so I'm trying to get it done before, only today left...

Blessings,

Cheri.

More on the Quick Coin Quilt...

Welcome and thank you to Catherine of Catalina's Cottage for being my first follower. It's exciting to see 'stats' that show that people from around the world looking. It gives a feeling of connectedness (the social critics would be say it gives a 'feeling' of connectedness without the actuality - but that's another story...)

So to the quilt... and my attempt at machine quilting.  As a novice I wanted a pattern and I discovered the patterns that long arm quilters use called pantographs - I'm not sure what they are if you buy them (!) but they're continuous patterns so you don't have to stop sewing to do the entire quilt (or row in my case).

I downloaded a sample of one for and I would love to give credit to where from but I can't find it anywhere! I'm not sure of the copyright implications of me using it but as I looked some sites today I see that 'nothing is new under the sun' and many of them are similar.

So here is 'Wildflower'.

I zoomed into it on my computer (a HP mini with a little screen!) and then traced one flower and two leaves from it directly off the screen onto some clear plastic off the front of a spiral bound AGM report.

Who needs a light box!

I cut around the template (only a little at first but found it easier in two parts - a flower and a leaf)
I used chalk to trace them onto my quilt and then went for it - free style - and here's the result:

A bit wonky in places but I was happy.

The only problem was that I didn't enjoy it that much...hand quilting is so much more theraputic. Also this was approx. 1m x 1m with no batting and I can't imagine trying to wrestle a big batted quilt under my domestic machine!! I don't think things would be very domestic for long :)

Lastly, it was rolled up and delivered to the teacher on the last day she taught my son with the instuctions that it wasn't a 'precious' quilt and she could use it for anything - baby wrap, change mat, outside picnic rug...she could machine wash it and if it falls apart I'll take it that it was well used and loved.

I'm off now to fill my hot water bottle (the best thing about winter).

Blessings, Cheri.