Jo's Last Quilt

No, not the last quilt I'll ever make, but the last quilt I finished. I have at least four quilts-in-progress - all of them full- or queen-size - that need blocks joined and borders added before I can quilt them. Plus sets of blocks I've purchased at flea markets - I'm not the only one that doesn't get quilts finished!

Foundation piecing, based on a quilt in Valori Well's Stitch 'n Flip Quilts book. (I think the border is a Valori Wells batik from years ago, but I'm not sure.) I started it about 4 years ago in a class at my local quilt shop, made all the blocks, then finished a year or so later it at a weekend retreat with my quilt guild. What a great way to sew! 50 women, 50 tables, 50 machines, nearly two full days of sewing, no distractions, dozens of opinons...

I had fun playing with the free-motion quilting on this one. The BERNINA Stitch Regulator hadn't been introduced yet, so all of the quilting was done using Freehand Quilting Foot #29. I like the wide, clear sole of this foot for quilting - I can see where I'm going, and use the edges of the foot to judge how far I am from previous lines of stitching. I couldn't decide which threads to use, so I used them all - variegated threads from YLI, Superior Threads, Mettler, Sulky - all of the pink/orange/yellow and green spools in my stash. This kind of quilt is great for practicing free-motion techniques - since none of the blocks match, the quilting doesn't have to look the same either. No worries about staying inside the lines, having equally-sized loops, putting squiggles in the same places - just move the fabric and "draw" shapes.

I finished another quilt the same weekend - a group quilt made with seven children ages 7-13. It's one of my favorites, but I'll share it with you another time.


1 Comment

stacysews April 15 2008 @ 5:32 pm

It's gorgeous (btw, the quilting is beautiful)!!! I haven't ever seen this book before - I might have to check it out.


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