On the rack -- Mary Ann's queen size top, "Winner's Circle" from the Regina's Quilt Kit
is done. Mary Ann's son gifted her the kit many years ago and will soon go from closet to her bed. I have quilted enough tops now on my new machine that I was confident to tackle this one. The center and first border is a floral all-over pattern I perfected from my home machine days. The solid white outside border will be full of feathers.
The last two quilt tops were floated on the long-arm frame. I have read both pros and cons on this method -- I have to say I prefer it. I am able to watch and smooth the batting and able to pick out those pesky dark strings that sometimes show up under the top while quilting. I can lift the top and replace it quickly.
I did add a little feature above -- I am using two PVC pipes to weight the top down while I am quilting between the top and back bars.. By pressing the pipes down, I can also smooth the top at the same time keeping the process even.
Here is a closeup of the floral quilting. And for those who are wondering, "
Grunt" is my machine's nick name. Because I quilt in a small space, I have to roll her away from the wall when using her and roll her back when I need to use my regular sewing machine -- hence a lot of grunting going on. I don't mind, because I am so happy to have her.
Happy Independence Day!!
3 comments:
What a gorgeous quilt! Your stitching will make it spectacular. I love it.
That's so pretty, Jamie - I may borrow your floral design for my next quilt - or at least take a shot at something similar!!
My frame is set up differently from yours - the roller for the top is on a hinge, so I can lift it up to smooth the batting. It works really well - I used to float my tops, but decided to try pinning again when I got the long arm. I've been pleased with the results!
Thats a new term to me, floating. I haven't tried that before but I may have to it sure would cut down on the time it takes to load a quilt.
Post a Comment