With inspiration from Amy's book...
I pulled out the girly flannel fabrics I've been collecting to come up with a simple lap quilt for a birthday gift for Lily, a soon to be two- year old.
I tried my hand at some freehand machine quilted flowers...
and also tackled machine stitching the binding from start to finish.
I'm happy with the quilting, not so happy with machine stitching the binding. As Amy warned in her book, the results of machine stitching the binding are not what I'd hoped for. I ended up with the quilt edge going all wavy. I decided to leave it as it is, mainly because as the quilt is for a two-year old, I'm sure it will receive lots of washing and I think the machine stitching will better stand all the washing. I guess that's how it goes with trying something new. Irregardless of what you expect for results, you always end up learning something. I think I'll carry on with my usual combination of machine and hand stitching the binding - unless someone can tell me how to machine bind a quilt without it resulting in wavy edges?
I pulled out the girly flannel fabrics I've been collecting to come up with a simple lap quilt for a birthday gift for Lily, a soon to be two- year old.
I tried my hand at some freehand machine quilted flowers...
and also tackled machine stitching the binding from start to finish.
I'm happy with the quilting, not so happy with machine stitching the binding. As Amy warned in her book, the results of machine stitching the binding are not what I'd hoped for. I ended up with the quilt edge going all wavy. I decided to leave it as it is, mainly because as the quilt is for a two-year old, I'm sure it will receive lots of washing and I think the machine stitching will better stand all the washing. I guess that's how it goes with trying something new. Irregardless of what you expect for results, you always end up learning something. I think I'll carry on with my usual combination of machine and hand stitching the binding - unless someone can tell me how to machine bind a quilt without it resulting in wavy edges?
The quilt looks so sheerful and sweet. I have seen a tutorial for bindings on this blog http://sewkalico.blogspot.com/2007/10/cheaters-binding-mini-tutorial_24.html
ReplyDeleteI hope it will be of some help!
Your little quilt is lovely. For my bindings I either cut straight grain or bias strips and sew them together for the length I need. I cut them at 2.5 inches wide and then press the whole thing in half longways. I put the raw edges flush with the raw edge of the quilt, then I machine stitch that down at just a little wider than 1/4 inch. Then I wrap it around the edge of the quilt and hand stitch it down. I would think you could machine stitch it instead of hand stitch it if you wanted to, just pin it down first. One thing I have found very important is to make sure that your pieces are cut as close to straight on the grain as possible or at 45 degrees to the grain, not somewhere between. That can cause the shape to distort. I generally cut straight grain pieces. You really only need bias pieces if you are going around a curve, or you want it for the look it gives. It uses less fabric to cut straight grain pieces.
ReplyDeletethe quilt (and quilting!!!!) is beautiful. I always hand stitch the back of my binding. it's my favorite part.
ReplyDeleteI hear that machine stitching both sides of the binding is tough.