Pages

▼

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Midmonth UFO Report

Aurifil threads for machine quilitng
My UFO goal this month is to finish the quilt called Scrappy Friends. This was a New Years mystery designed by Quiltbug and I made my version in batiks from my stash. This isn't a very old UFO since it hasn't even spent a year or more in the UFO cupboard, but it is a bossy quilt and wants to be finished.
The quilt has been pin basted and quilting has begun. It will be quilted very simply using the walking foot. I almost always start a quilt making some horizontal and some vertical lines to stabilize the whole thing. I don't like to stitch in the ditch because it's boring, and I think that if I'm going to do all this machine quilting, I want to see it! And you can't see the stitching if it's hidden in a seam. However, sometimes a quilt needs it, so I force myself to do the "stitch in the ditch" part.  
If you dislike it too, Angela Walters has a blog post with 4 tips on how to hate stitching in the ditch a little bit less... click here to read it. 

 So now on to the fun quilting... diagonal lines straight across both sides of the pink stars.
The binding is already prepared and waiting, so I am motivated to get the quilting finished. 

13 comments:

  1. JillTuesday, February 13, 2018

    Straight line quilting can be very effective. I did it (cross hatch style) last year on the Dress for Success quilt. I used a walking foot also. The only thing that slowed me down was the stop and starts around each dress. Are you going to diagonal quilt straight through each block or diagonal stitch the whole quilt which would be the fastest method?

    ReplyDelete
  2. MaryTuesday, February 13, 2018

    Nice to get this one before it hits the Big To Be Quilted Pile. Half way into the Month and it's getting done. You are ahead of me. I'm still getting the backing ready on my UFO.

    ReplyDelete
  3. KateTuesday, February 13, 2018

    I love the colours in this one, Kathy!

    ReplyDelete
  4. LouiseTuesday, February 13, 2018

    Pretty batiks! It's going to be great when it's finished :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Deanna WTuesday, February 13, 2018

    Doing some machine quilting of my own too. Stitching in the ditch is boring sewing but I am just not as adept at fmq as I would like to be. I know practice practice practice....I don't have that much time. So SID get used when it isn't a special quilt....special quilts get hand quilted!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Deb ATuesday, February 13, 2018

    You are making such great progress on your projects this year. Pretty quilt. Those bossy ones are the best - they know what they want.

    ReplyDelete
  7. IvaniTuesday, February 13, 2018

    Beautiful pink friendship stars, you Rock Kathy!

    ReplyDelete
  8. 9658 TextilesTuesday, February 13, 2018

    This quilt looks lovely and snuggly. I love machine quilting and I really adore your binding baby. Thanks for sharing :)

    Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  9. SusanTuesday, February 13, 2018

    Love your quilt! Does Angela have a remedy for turning off the comment 'stitch in the ditch should stay in the ditch'? Whenever my needle strays, this always pops into my head - annoying!

    ReplyDelete
  10. RobinTuesday, February 13, 2018

    This is such a cheerful quilt. I'm glad it's getting it's turn to be quilted even though it butted in front of another project to be first in line.

    ReplyDelete
  11. NitaTuesday, February 13, 2018

    Oh the colours! Oh the batiks! love love love. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Chopin - A Passionate QuilterTuesday, February 13, 2018

    Another pretty quilt Kathy!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Janet O.Tuesday, February 13, 2018

    I do love pretty batik quilts like this.
    SITD is not fun, but it can make the piecing stand out, and stabilize the quilt.

    ReplyDelete