Dreaming Big
This week looks to be a good week weather wise. We did get some rain on Saturday. I didn't mind because it's one less day to water the fall lawn seed. In the meantime, I managed to get a good amount of quilting done.
Wow!
I'm so proud of how this panel quilt turned out. I was nervous at first. Once I got rolling, I realized I have all the skills to turn this into a real beauty. And beauty she is.
I have several of the Dream Big panels in a variety of colors including Teal, Pink, Cream and Red. I've also purchases a few of the Dream Big-Leaf, Dream Big Dance, and Dream Big Seasons – Two Christmas and one Fourth of July. I'll be fitting these into my schedule between other projects. Now that I've done one, there's no stopping me!
Quilting the Panel
The easiest row to place is the first one. The pattern placement is straight forward. Still, you need to remain aware of the shrinkage that occurs across the row as the stitching is completed.
As a top is quilted, shrinkage occurs as the stitching draws in fullness and alters the position of the fabric. Basting helps control the shifting, Nonetheless, it is still necessary to watch and make minor adjustments along the way.
The Sides and Bottom
The petal patterns are placed counter-clockwise around the center. All along the way, I had to remain vigilant in placing the patterns. Creative Studio makes it easy to make the necessary adjustments.
The important thing to remember is that the screen isn't the reality of the quilt. As the design is quilted and all that shifting and shrinkage occurs, the images on the screen won't line up perfectly. Lines will overlap on the screen but appear just right on the quilt. The quilt dictates what to do next.
Completing the Panel
Once all the petals around the quilt are complete, the center of the panel is stitched. It's very satisfying to see the panel parts come together in a cohesive whole. I'm looking forward to working my next Dream Big panel quilt. I used a total of five thread colors working from dark to light in the center.
The panel is a spectrum digital fabric print from the photography of Jeanie Sumrall-Ajero and the quilting designs I used are from Nancy Haacke of Wasatch Quilting.
Other Projects
Over the weekend, my pillow forms arrived so it is pillow time! They arrive with all the air sucked out an it was fun popping the packages and watching them rise. Kind of like bread dough but faster.
I also worked on finishing the last three quilt-as-you-go placemats for Halloween. I didn't quite finish the table runner, so I'll get to that this week.
What are you working on this week?
Until till next time,