In between our busy busy weekend filled with birthday parties and lounging poolside I was able to get my mod sampler quilt top finished! We had wonderful weather this weekend (in Pittsburgh, weather like this is sometimes few and far between) and my parents have a pool, so we were able to spend today relaxing by the pool. It was perfect.
This was the first time I had done a quilt with sashing, and I'm really liking the way its turned out.
I'm always disappointed with the pictures I take of my quilts, they never do the "real thing" justice. The colors on the quilt are so much more vibrant than they are in the photograhs. Alas, I guess I need to play with the settings a little more on the camera, and not just use the "easy" setting for optimal performance.
Anyways, in the process of working on this quilt top, I have discovered 3 new quilting tools that I don't think I can live without from here on.
1. Spray starch. I couldn't believe how easy it made ironing! And it made the fabric have a slight crispness which really helped with getting accurate 1/4 inch seams
2. Freezer paper. I know that freezer paper has a multitude of uses in quilting, but as I still consider myself a "newbie" this was the first time I have experimented with it. I used it as described here by Oh Fransson! for correcting blocks that are slightly off in length (i.e. I had a few blocks that ended up being 8 1/8 inches wide/long as opposed to 8 1/2 like they should be).
...Yes I know that I purchased the worlds largest box of freezer paper, but thats all they had at the store!
3. Pressing seams open! Again, I know this is nothing new, but when I was learning to quilt, my instructor always had us press to one side, so thats the way I did it also. I tried pressing the seams open on this quilt, and I can't believe how flat it helps the blocks lay (lie?? I never was good with that distinction!). I think I may be converted to a open seam presser.
Anyways, I'm hoping to get the back put together and then get this bad boy finished this week, so I can post to finished for friday/sew and tell. I'm thinking this quilt will be another Christmas gift either for my mom or mother in law, hope they like!
I think it's "how flat it helps the blocks lie"........things like that drive me crazy, like when people say, "I made it for my hubby and I".....if I made it for "me", then I also made it for hubby and "me" ! Aren't I annoying?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thanks for sharing the tip with the freezer paper. I've used it all sorts of ways but never to square up a block......that's a good one ! One of my favorite uses for it, and you should remember this one sometime, is to iron it onto the back of the LABEL I make for my quilt. It stabilizes the fabric so that you can write on it like paper, instead of it pulling all over the place with the pen.
You are labeling your quilts aren't you?
These quilts that you're making for gifts are GREAT......people are going to want to remember where they got them and when !
thanks for sharing the freezer paper tip! i hadn't seen that before!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dolly! Actually I haven't been labeling my quilts, to be honest I never even thought of it! This will be my first one though, do you just choose a swatch of fabric, write on it (using a sharpie?) and then sew it onto the back?
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