Saturday, January 30, 2010

KatieJumpRope Quilt (designed by Ethan)



Washed, bound and crinkly. Just the way I like it.

Blockmaking - using graph paper was really helpful in figuring out measurements and cutting for blocks. *never forget that 1/2" extra for seam allowances!

Fabric Choice - originally I wanted to use some solids like Ethan's drawing but I didn't have any (at the time) and I don't have a big stash of bold pinks.

Batting - I had a crib sized batting piece in that polyester thin batting. I was worried about it when I was putting it together, but after washing it, it's just as soft as other kinds. But, it is thinner, and so this is more of a lightweight summer quilt.

Spray Basting - wow, how super easy it was! I used 505 brand, as it was recommended to be less smelly. It was a great method for a small quilt. I'd get nervous using it for a larger quilt, but I may experiment on a larger one, just for kicks. I'm pretty liberal with my shoving and manipulating the quilt around on my machine, so often wondered if the layers would unstick or shift. Not the case. But again, smaller quilt so maybe better result?

Machine binding - let's just say it's quick, but I don't like the results at all. Perhaps it's that my binding looked uneven at the back or the stitching looked uneven at the back - it looked awesome at the front. But I didn't like the look of it on the back. In addition to uneven, it also looks too flat and not as fluffy as when I hand stitch.

**and yes, this quilt is made of patterned fabric - all from my stash. The only fabric I've allowed myself to purchase this year is solids, batting and backing. I need to use up my stash as well this year, so you'll see a few stash quilts here and there!

**My next solids quilt is all cut out and ready to piece!

14 comments:

  1. it looks great. thanks for your opinion on spray basting...im been mulling it over..

    i agree, i dont like the look of machine binding...its so quick though...but i dont think ill do it again.

    what does ethan think of his quilt?

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  2. This turned out beautifully! I love the thin white sashing in between the blocks and then the larger strips separating the rows!
    I will have to give that spray basting technique a try someday I haven't tried that yet.

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  3. Such a great quilt, and I love the story behind it. Thanks for the spray basting info. I want to try, but I'm nervous!

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  4. Oh my gosh! You are just whipping the quilts out lately!

    This is so cool. I love this line and your son is an awesome quilt designer! Simple, yet striking. Tell him I said WTG!!

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  5. I hope you have Ethan busy designing another quilt. This one is great! I'm trying really hard to "shop" from my stash. It's so difficult when people keep posting pictures of fabric they just purchased....(I'm so weak...)

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  6. You did a great job of translating his drawing into a quilt! You must save the drawing!

    Also, thanks for the tips! About the spray basting, did it leave everything (floors, furniture, etc) feeling sticky? Did you have a hard time repositioning it?

    Thanks for your thoughts on the binding. I have never done it that way because I love to sit and hand stitch it down.

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  7. Love your interpretation. I bet your son was honored to have his art turned into a quilt by his mom.

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  8. This is gorgeous. I love how you interpreted your son's design. I have a couple of drawings from my children that I would like to make into something but I have not yet.

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  9. adorable! What a great design. That's so cool that your son was able to help you create this!

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  10. This is beautiful! I love these fabrics and this shows them off well.

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  11. amazing blog you have here! I love what you have done with Ethan's drawing. You are pretty much Mom of the Year!

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  12. This is a fabulous quilt! I love the combination of thin and thick strips of white.
    I am currently taking a "refresher" quilting class and the teacher also has a long arm business. She is strictly a 505 user. I am torn about using it. I do find it easy to use it by itself on small quilts. On larger quilts I'd probably like the additional security of some quilter's safety pins added strategically in areas that might get beat up when shoved around the machine. My concerns are really more environmental than convenience. I hate adding more chemicals to my quilts (even though they wash out they are still going somewhere). It makes me feel guilty knowing that I am adding more spray cans to a land fill.

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  13. This is great. I love it!

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