Quilting the Fancy Free Quilt

After a bit of a rough start...I have finally finished quilting the Fancy Free Quilt!

Rough Start? Lets just say that the instructions I wasn't really following- said to stitch wavy lines with a walking foot and everything was fine on my practise square...but quilting wavy lines on a 6 inch square is a little different to quilting a full size quilt and I soon discovered that nice wavy quilting with a walking foot is basically impossible!

 So after a lot of frustration and unpicking, I decided to try using a free motion foot, which was much much easier and really fast! Also, While practising I also did a bit of stipling and was really surprised that I was still able to vaguelly stiple- I was told that when you are a beginner, if you don't practise for 6 weeks you have to learn all over again.

I also only had enough basting spray to baste the back of the quilt. I figured it was more important I basted the back really well than the front and because I couldn't wait a whole week to get more spray I decided to pin baste the top. However, as I don't have any safety pins so I decided quilting and sewing pins were just as good- which they were...just alot more ouchy!

For the Quilting:
I was having a bit of difficulty quilting on my little machine and not having an extension table I created my own ...using yellow pages and a bit of sticky tap! It suprinsingly worked really well and certainly made the quilting a lot easier.

I also used a beautiful pink variegated thread, which I absolutely adore. It has a bit of a sheen to it which I think looks great because some of the fabrics in the quilt have a sort of metallic detail.

~  In the squares I stitched wavy lines over all the seams and then stitched-in-the-ditch (with a walking foot) around the edge of the block. In the border I had intended to stitch similar wavy lines but after stitching once all the way around, I decided I like it with only one wave. My stitches also are not very even but considering it is the first quilt I have done free motion, I think it's pretty good. I have also decided that my excuse for unevenly sized wonky wavy lines, is that it adds a bit of interest!

So now I need to do something with all the threads hanging of the front of the quilt, add some binding, a label and it will be finished.

Hope yourhaving a great weekend!

Miranda & Charlie