A Custom Finish

Kathy waited patiently while I used every excuse in the book to procrastinate on her beautiful quilt. I waited for thread and batting orders to arrive. I had to retime my machine, getting step by step instructions by phone with a mechanic in Texas. I had to install a new hook assembly, following instructions on YouTube in an attempt to solve thread shredding problems. I had to wait for a new ruler foot to arrive, I didn’t want to load this huge quilt and have to take it off to do more machine repairs. I tested out my repairs with pantograph designs on small quilts. Seriously, I was waiting for this quilt to speak to me.

After my excuses ran out I had to buckle down and get started. I was having trouble finding a quilting design or path, as this quilt isn’t like the traditional quilt that usually comes in my door. First I decided to look up the designer to see how other people quilted theirs. It is a Libs Elliott design called Orbitor and Kathy made it in a quilt-a-long. I managed to find a few pictures on Lib’s instagram page, where I discovered hers was quilted by a quilter out in Alberta. She did a fabulous job with her computer guided quilting machine, something I don’t have. I did not find any other finished quilts online. I uploaded the picture to an app called “You Doodle” and started to draw out quilting ideas and pass them back and forth with Kathy. The picture below is near the end of the quilting process, sometimes better ideas come after you start the quilting process.

I used a blue so fine thread for most of the quilting and only matched thread colours in the centre and a few others places. I quilted lines, both diagonal and straight in frames around the quilt regardless of the design underneath. In the centre I used a lot of quilting design influences from Angela Walters book about quilting in shapes.

There was a lot of rolling the machine back and forth get those long straight lines without stopping and cutting the thread. Ohhh my aching wrists!

After a week on the frame, I was relieved to have it finished and very pleased with the way it looked.  

I have been busier than ever during covid — Makers are Making! And busy people are keeping busy!

I hope you had a chance to check out the new venture that Valerie and I have started quilttalk.ca. Our first speaker is Victoria Finlay Wolfe. We will be Zooming with her this coming Wednesday, February 17 2021, be sure to join us.