Wednesday 25 September 2013

Wonky Wednesday

First up, something I started even though I told myself I wasn't allowed to start anything until I'd finished the back of Ruby's quilt.  I used a charm pack (Lario - 3 Sisters) to have a go at wonky cutting and a bit of improv piecing and came up with this:

I'm really happy with how it turned out, I think it is balanced but random.  I think some of the balance comes from using one collection and some of it from the technique I used.  I was (and still am) a bit apprehensive about wonky cutting with this collection, I'm not sure if the style of quilt I have in mind will suit the fabric.

This is my first time using a charm pack and the pinked edges really threw me, which I wasn't expecting.  Here's a close up of wonky loveliness ...


Next up - a finish, yay!  I have finished the brown bag doll's quilt that Ruby helped me piece ...


I edge-turned the binding and quilted it with randomly spaced horizontal lines, and by 'randomly spaced' I mean I couldn't be bothered marking out any lines and thought I'd be able to just get it pretty close to equally spaced by eye.  Turns out there's a very good reason for marking out your quilting.  Here's what I learnt with this quilt:
  • you should mark out your quilting, even if you are doing something seemingly straightforward, especially if you're a beginner (like me).
  • my machine is horrendous for quilting (with and without a walking foot), I struggled to get the tension right (and still couldn't get it right), it skipped stitches. 
  • If you are edge-turning you need to consider start and end points for the quilting because the quilting won't end up running under the binding rather it goes with the binding.
  • I need a lot more practice with binding, I still hate doing it even with edge-turned binding.
  • Despite all of this the girls love playing with it and from a distance it looks lovely.
Linking up to:
WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced
Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts

5 comments:

  1. I'm finding my little machine is quite pants for quilting too. Love how you put the lessons learnt on your finished quilts ... I read and nod along to the majority of them - tehe ... but like you said, your girls love it so it must be a success :)

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  2. Your wonky improv block is gorgeous, Sarah! And the finished brown bag quilt - Very Sweet. When you said your machine skipped stitches, I was wondering if you tried a fresh needle. Sometimes that is the cause. Or a different size needle. Your lessons learned are a great addition to your posts. I think we can all relate to those!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lorna, I had not thought to check either of those things, and knowing me my needle was probably due to be replace, thanks for the tip.

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  3. I hate the pinked edges on precuts too!

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  4. I like the fabrics you picked for your improv piece. Pretty.

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