A Reminder that I am a still a Quilting Wannabe

I finally got around to quilting the braid quilt. I used a wandering stipple pattern and it looks really good with the Friendship Braid pattern.  But the quilt itself was the problem this time.

I made this quilt from 2" X 4" scraps about 4 years ago. It was one of those times when I wasn't feeling really well (I do tend to want to quilt when I am sick). I didn't want to cut fabric to start a new project but I wanted to be sewing. I had been shown the way to make the braid at a 4-H leader meet. I had all these scrap strips so I started sewing.

Now these scraps weren't the best fabric but they were free so not a huge loss if it turned out badly. I sewed several braids.  I really liked how they turned out. Next I had to figure out how to put them together. I decided to put a 2" sashing strip between the braids. That meant I needed to trim the the braids. 

What I should have taken into consideration was that when I trimmed the braids, I was making the
edge of the braid a bias edge.  I not only trimmed the long sides of the braids but also the ends. Once they were bias edges I needed to use much more care in handling the braids. I didn't. I had put this quilt aside to work on a different quilt and it has sat in a storage box until a couple of months ago.  I pulled it out and put the outer borders on it. I measured the top and made the back for it. All the while it never occurred to me I was dealing with bias edges. A very amateurish move.

I put the top on the machine without cleaning up the back. So as I unrolled the quilt it left all sorts of threads on the top. I was constantly using the lint roller on the top.



Then when I went to quilt it there were all sorts of bulges and ripples in the top. Not just loose tension. the bias edges had stretched in spots.  I tried to steam them out without much luck.


I can't tell you how many tucks I had to pick out.





But worse is the outer borders. I could not get them quilted without ripples in them. In the end I was very frustrated.

Such a pretty top that I messed up with careless inattention to details. This quilt is for my son, Killian. He thinks it is wonderful and figures it will keep him warm even if it is not perfect. He especially loves that it is made from scraps. Killian says I am my own worst critic and I see minor imperfections as major ones. I love his support but these were not minor imperfections. I appreciate how he tries to make me feel better about my work.

I think I will eventually make another friendship braid quilt. Next time before I trim the braids I think I will take a clue from garment making. I am going to try stitching down the strip a short way from the cut line before trimming. Hopefully that will stabilize it. Then I will be a lot more careful while handling bias edges.

Next up on my list of things to do is put the leader grips on the backing leader and the take up leader. Also I will replace the quilt top leader. That should just about finish the up grades to my machine.  I also need to revisit my design wall. It needs a little more tweaking. Actually a lot more tweaking. Maybe even a whole redesign.