Batik Virginia Bound progress report DONE!!!!!!!!

Yes it is done! Not on the bed yet as I plan on taking it to the guild meeting tonight. I do not want to take cat fur with me to show the quilt. SO I will do the bedroom tomorrow and add the quilt to the bed.
Hubby said I need to take a break from sewing after he saw how long and hard I worked on this huge quilt. I do not feel like I need a break. I did ask him if he wanted me to stop and do some spring cleaning. "No" he said....he fears furniture moving is involved in spring cleaning. HA!

Here it is all folded and waiting to be loaded into the truck. We are getting snow today. Just a couple wet inches. The roads are not slick but it is only 33 outside. BRRRRRR!

I accordion fold my binding and leave it on the bed of the machine. It feeds off as I need it. I have been using my binding this way for years. If there is a lull between making and using the binding I use selvedges to tie the bundle up neatly.

And as you can see I used many many different neutrals for the binding. I love multicolored bindings. They spiral around the quilt in a riot of color saying "look at me".

The only real pain besides the quilting was the joining of the three units. I used my big Board to cut and pin the backs. You cannot even tell from the front where these seams fall! Yep! That's the whole idea!

My newest favorite sound from Virginia Bound

I love speaking in rhyme!

The sound is the pin going into the container as I finish a small section. Now I admit that this sound is not loud nor is it pretty. But it is so satisfying to know one more pin is out and I am that many inches closer to being done with this monster! The tin was full of chocolate kisses. It is perfect for my "Basting Brights" safety pins. I am only thinking about the spot I am working on. Someday there will be no spots to go to and I will be done.
The Accufeed foot that I bought for this machine is a wonder. I totally love it. No puckers or pleats in the underside. But boy! Am I ever wrestling this quilt around. I am going over the light diamond areas four times coming in the width of the presser foot each time. Around and around. I am fluffing and stuffing but at times I still need to pass large areas through the throat space.

I took this pic on Friday. Today the two bottom pieces are all quilted and they are rolled up into little logs so there are no strings or batting hanging out for my kitties to nibble on. I am now working on the center section.

The feather idea did not pan out. I set up for free motion with the foot and the new free motion bobbin with the blue dot. Geez...I felt like I was in sewing machine kindergarten. I ripped it all out and am now continuing the straight line quilting. I also wound 10 more bobbins and put the fourth new needle in the machine this morning.

This quilt will last forever! I hope I last until I get it finished!

Batik Virginia Bound progress report FEATHERS????

OH! My aching shoulders! This is only 1/3 of the quilt as I did decide to quilt it in sections and then join the sections. The finished size will be 144X120. I am using Quilters' Dream Wool batting. Oh my goodness do I ever love the feel of this batting. I want to buy a whole roll of the stuff. It is yummy to work with. I really like cutting batting from rolls. There are no wrinkles in it at all that way. I have to let the batting relax from the bag. I used two super queen size batts to have enough for this quilt. I will have a nice chunk left from each to use in something else.

Besides the obvious size of this quilt, I have to cope with kitty approval of the quilt. I step away to stretch and the kitties pounce on it. It is more than just seeing what I am doing. They also love the wool batting. It immediately radiates their body heat. When I first tried this batting I made them a small kitty mat. They all love it. And I have washed it many times and it holds up just fine.

So far just some straight line quilting to stabilize the piecework. In the batik part of the quilt I am using a nice chocolate brown 40 weight thread by Signature called Mother Goose. In the light sections I am using a King Tut varigated tans #996. I am using a 50 weight thread in the bobbin as I want this quilt to last a long time. I usually use Bottom Line in the bobbin. But decided I wanted a heavier thread instead. I am using a size 16 needle to make a good stitch through the tightly woven batiks. There is a lot of bulk where the seams meet. Even though I pressed those areas open there is a bump to deal with. I have been hand cranking the machine through those heavier areas.

I want to try feathers. I want to try feathers. I want to try feathers. Maybe if I say it enough I will get the courage to try some Sally Terry feathers. I bought her book and she makes it seem so easy. But this quilt is so very big!

So, what say you fellow quilters????? feathers?????????

Batik Virginia Bound progress report

I am back. I have been so very busy. On National Quilting Day I went to hear and see Kaye England at the 19th annual Gathering of Quilters. I lucked out as it was in Fort Wayne this year. Only a 30 minute drive from home!

The Masonic quilt has been picked up.

I taught some quilting to a very fine woman I met on the internet. She is coming to me for lessons. She is a fast learner and is doing great. You know how hard it is at the beginning when you need to buy the right tools to do the best job. I am lending her what she needs until she gets her own gear. It is very satisfying to show someone what you love to do!

I have a bolt of this fabric from years ago. It is called Willow Mews by RJR fabrics. I made a serious dent in the bolt making the backing for the Batik Virginia Bound. Quilt's finish measurements are 144X120. I am making a serious dent in my stash by using my precious fabrics finally. And this one is for me. I have the first quilt I ever made on my bed. Heck! I zigzagged the binding on. I did not know what I was doing. And it is tied not quilted. I cannot believe it has lasted 20 years.

Here is my precious Baby..all 20#'s of her. She is the best kitty except for being shy when there is a visitor in the house.

And Macy is all her glory. She rules the bed. She chases any kitties off at the beginning of the night. Then as she falls asleep the rest of the pack creeps in.

My Pearl Piwacket. She is still bent about MaggieMae coming to live with us. We are working with her to give her extra attention. It seems to be helping.

And of course MaggieMae. She helped me cut sew and press the backing this morning. Yes...she was loads of help. I could not find Bess to get a picture. The kitties have some great hiding spots.

Gotta go...I am pinning the backing into the frame. But I wanted to post as I have been a quiet lady this last week.

Sunday update

I am a winner!!!! I simply love all the blogs there are on quilting. And I also feel as if these women are my friends although we are miles apart. I made a suggestion on Scraps and Threadtales blog and I won! There were two other winners too. We are all so very lucky this week! http://scrapsandthreadtales.blogspot.com/ Here is the link to the blog.

I have the Masonic quilt finished. I just need to call Marg and tell her to come get it.

I visited my oldest daughter at a new dining place she is working at on Thursday when I was doing my running around town. She is a workhorse....2 jobs, 4 daughters and a host of running for Grandma Iole. Anyway...I noticed that her apron was kinda threadworn. I checked my records and yep! it has been 2 years since I made some for her. SO that is what I worked on this last Friday and Saturday. I made 8 aprons. Five for Lisa and three for Laura (she does not work as much).
Today I am back making more batik Virginia Bound blocks for my bed quilt. Yes....I am finally sewing for myself again. I have 144 quarter blocks done. But I want the quilt to have a lot of overhang. I can always make a smaller one for the chair if I make too many. I want it 120" wide and 144" long. I plan on quilting it in sections. Guess I will worry about that when the time comes for assembly.

Virgina Bound second time around - Friday 13th

Today is Friday the 13th. I am staying home...not that I am worried about bad luck or anything.
HA!
I now have 96 quarter blocks done. The photo above only shows 48 of them. I have a small design wall but still use it as often as I can.

And this is the kind of help I have had all along this sewing journey. MaggieMay requires a lot of attention. And when she feels I have not touched or admired her enough this is the method she uses to let me know she needs me. She is the sweetest cat I have ever had. Yet she is as demanding as my Siamese. When I told the breeder that she is starting to act like Macy ( my Oriental Shorthair), Debbi says she can imitate the strongest cat personality in the house. Great! I now have a "swiffer" who does not jump with precision trying to reach the tops of doors. Crash! Boom! Bang! Yep...it was Maggie trying to fly like Macy.

I did manage to chain sew most of the strips onto the foundation paper when MaggieMay moved over a bit. This pic was taken during our rain storm. We have received 2+ inches of rain with 50 mph winds. A large Spruce tree across the street fell during the night hours. I heard the wind but not the tree falling.

Virgina Bound second time around

All in batiks!