Plaid quilt #2 finished (a while ago)

I finished this quilt quite a few weeks ago, but never managed to post it. Then, I discovered where I hadn't quite caught the binding and then I spilled tea on it. So, I finally fixed the binding, put it into the wash, and now it's ready for prime time.

This is the second quilt that I made using the 48 blocks I won from Block Lotto last April. The first quilt has a more traditional setting with sashing and borders. This one I set on point with offset rows. It was an experiment on how different I could make them, and I think I succeeded. Here's a comparison of the two quilts.

I backed this one with two bright fabrics that I picked up on sale. I like that I can use almost anything on the back of a scrappy quilt and it still matches.

The quilting was done on my Swiftquilter with a Juki TL98P machine. It was my first quilt using this setup and my first using feathers. I'm pleased with the results and found that the allover pattern was quick and painless.

This one finished up at 53" square which makes a generous lap quilt. Thank you again all of the lovely ladies who participate in Block Lotto who made this quilt possible.

Plaid #2 almost done

I almost finished the quilting on this quilt over the weekend EXCEPT...when I got to the final edge I realised that the backing was about 1 inch too small. It's amazing how often this happens to me. I guess I am just stingy with my backings and always lose when I gamble.

So, I had to pull it off the frame with a 6 inch section left to quilt, add a strip to the back, and them FMQ the last bit. I'm pleased with the quilting - an all over feathery meander. This was my first quilt using the Swiftquilter and I do admit that it went much faster than my usual FMQ.

It's a great option for doing all over designs, but like any method, there are some limitations. For me, I have to get used to quilting in a linear back-and-forth fashion. And, I have to get used to a narrower work area. My stitches are also a bit on the big side. The machine can go much faster, but I always get panicky when it's running too fast. But, I am happy.

I was planning a scrappy binding, but laziness took over and I pulled a random pink and orange stripe from my drawer. I'm about halfway through hand stitching the binding onto the back.

I'm linking up to Freshly Pieced WIP. In the past I've listed all of my WIPs, but I confess that it is a daunting list right now and writing it down would mean coming to terms with it.

Quilting feathers on plaid

A few months ago I finished the first plaid quilt from blocks I won on Block Lotto last April. After piecing the second one a while ago, I have pulled it out as my first victim to quilt using my Swiftquilter.

Inspired by Angela Waters' Craftsy class, I have leaped in and started quilting some feathers as a random meander on this quilt. Here's the quilt set up and ready to go.

I actually tried to start it last night, but could not get enough light. This morning it was much better - even between rain showers the natural light is so much better. Unfortunately, we are on the shortest day of the year, but with some fast work, I'm almost done and probably have 45 minutes left before I can't see any more.

I'm planning a scrappy binding, which I will hopefully get started on tonight.

Plaid quilt #2 flimsy

I set a goal to get the front of my second plaid quilt done this weekend. Not only was I motivated by finishing the first one, but on Friday I found out that I had won the blocks from February's Block Lotto. This motivated me further to honor the lovely quilters who sent me blocks last year before they send me more this month.

I had started to work on this ages ago, but became distracted along the way. My goal was to do something quite different with the remaining 24 blocks and I think I've achieved this without introducing other fabrics or overpowering the original block design. I admit I like this better than my first one.

A challenge with both quilt designs was dealing with blocks made by different people - some were precise and others not-so-precise. I'm okay with this, but it meant that trying to line up the center strips was impossible. So, I opted for an on-point layout with the blocks sashed in a variety of 1" strips and then staggered the blocks so that the centers didn't have to match up perfectly. Certainly this is always the case when different people make the blocks. I know that I have a habit of cutting slightly big and sewing a scant 1/4" seam - this means my pieces are often a tad big. This is fine if I've made all of the blocks, but not so in this case. (I've been working on this problem, by the way.)

The finished size is 56" square - a healthy throw but not really bed sized. I already have a plaid/floral fabric for the backing that I picked up in the clearance bin and plan some kind of all-over quilting design. Very happy to have achieved my goal and looking forward to the deluge of blocks to arrive in the mail over the next few weeks.