Inspired by this quilt at Moose Bay Muses, I wanted to try quilting in circles. That's as good a reason as any to start a new quilt from scratch, right? My quilt couldn't have any less in common with Karen's if I tried, but I wanted something fast and easy. (Translation -- a quilt that I wouldn't cry over if things went badly.)
It went well...
The top is made up of 2 1/2" squares in a barn raising setting (basically the upper left hand corner of my 30s Barn Raising pattern) and measures 36" square. I used cotton batting in hopes that it would stick to the top a little more than my usual polyester and keep the back from puckering when I was quilting with the walking foot -- that worked like a dream and the finished quilt crinkled wonderfully in the wash. This little quilt is so soft and scrunchy and wonderfully puckery that I wish I could snuggle up under it myself! Or maybe they all come out that way...I don't usually wash the baby quilts until right before they leave the house.
The whole thing worked like a dream, except my circles are a little bit wobbly and a lot farther apart than the ones on the quilt I was trying to imitate. Karen used the edge of her walking foot as a guide. I decided, after ripping out my first attempt, that I was doing better eyeballing a wider gap between the lines of stitching. I may try narrower circles next time. And a multicolored Baby Barn Raising...or a green one with bugs in the quilting instead of circles....
My boys are all too big for this quilt, and it was never intended to stay at my house, so I'll be giving it (or the winner's choice of one of my recent baby quilts) as part of The Quilting Gallery's blog hop party, which starts December 10. There are still a few days left to enter my giveaway celebrating my new Nancy Drew quilt.
This post is linked to to Finish it Up Friday, Can I get a Whoop Whoop?, and Link a Finish Friday
8 comments:
Just loving this quilt. What a perfect pattern for practicing quilting in circles!! There sure are alot of 2.5" squares!! Scrappy is my passion, and you've made one beautiful quilt here!!
I love your quilt, the colors are great. I haven't been brave enough to try quilting circles yet. Thanks for the tips on what worked for you, that gives me more courage to try it myself :-).
It's so cute! I;m glad to tried the circles--mine are a bit wobbly too. I think the trick is to get a good circle going at the beginning--I had to pick out my first attempt too!
I recently sewed two larger quilts with a spiral motif. This is going to sound weird but my results were more consistent clockwise (pushing the quilt under the machine head) rather than sewing counter-clockwise. I hope this makes sense. It is hard to visualize, you just have to put a 6" square in the machine and try it. Both tops measured approximately 52"x75".
That is a great quilt!! The circles are really neat on it!!
Oh my goodness that is amazing - I would love to do that on a big quilt, but can't imagine all the turning involved. I LOVE this!!! I didn't know about your Nancy Drew quilt, I've been dying to see it and you must have posted during my terribly long blog break - heading over now!
Beautifully done. :o)
Cool quilting! And remember, they're not "wobbly", they're "organic"!! Whoop whoop!!
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