Monday, January 28, 2013

Machine-Quilting Done

I decided to go ahead and try machine-quilting my latest project on my domestic sewing machine, a Janome 6600.  I really had not done much quilting on it except for postcards and bookmarks.  Because everything bigger than that, I just put it on my Gammill.  But since it is on loan to someone who is storing it for me at their house...

I decided to spray baste the batting and backing...but must have packed my basting spray into the POD during my massive reorganization.  No problem...I'll use safety pins.

Same problem...packed the safety pins, too!

I found some fusible batting, and ironed it to the quilt top.  Then, I pinned the top two layers to the backing with regular quilting pins.  Not the best solution, but it got me going.  It's hard not to run over them when you're quilting.

Had to get out the Janome manual to figure out the settings for free-motion quilting.

It went pretty well.  I decided to use the swirls of steam from the coffee as my quilting motif.

 
I used black thread for the whole thing.  I went around the outline of the cups.  I just had to add a little humor.  Since the quilt will be named Picasso's Coffee Cups, I put his first name on the brown coffee cup!
 
 
I picked a beautiful hand-dyed fabric for the back.
 
 
I have a few places of visible starts and stops, which I am working on tonight.  Everything went pretty well, except I got some of the extra backing fabric caught up in the quilting stitches.
 
 
The needle did not want to go through the heavily painted text areas.  Note:  next time I will use inks or fabric paint, not acrylic, if I plan to quilt it.
 
In Pamela Allen's method of art quilt-making, the next step after quilting is embellishing.  She has been know to sew or attach all kinds of objects to her quilts.  I thought about sewing on a Spork to stir the coffee, but don't think that would really add anything!  I might get a little paint and go over the name quilted into the mug so it shows up better.
 
Just a little left to go on this project.  Binding, sleeve, and label.  Then done!
 
 
 
 
 

1 comment:

Katie said...

What fun. I really like it!