Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Hits The Spot :: A Quilting Adventure

If you know me, you know quilting isn't my specialty!  I try and try again, always hoping the spark will take hold and I'll miraculously 'get it' and become a bit more skilled than I am now.  

That being said, this last quilting adventure left me feeling like I knew what I was doing!  


HITS THE SPOT
20" x 22"
I've become a bit obsessed with circles lately.  Just when I think I'm done, some new idea or a scrap pile calls my name and there I go making more circles.  Mostly I've focused on full or half circles, a skill worth mastering.  I'm not quite a master...but my time has been well spent and I love it!

We all have days where we just want to make something.  There doesn't have to be a reason or a plan, it's the process and need that propels us.  Such was the case with this quilt.  It had no future until one day...I decided to make it into a wall hanging that would test my quilting skills!



I've never been able look at a quilt as a whole and come up with a plan, it's always been section by section and hope for the best.  Instead of dwelling on it, I embraced it.  And to make it a little more difficult I was going to match thread colors too!  Why not, right?!

I used Aurifil 50wt in Neon Orange (1104), Peony (2440), Yellow Orange (2145) and Canary (2120).



I channeled some of my favorite quilters, focused on some details I love seeing and prayed I could pull it off!  It also didn't hurt one little bit that this is a very small quilt and I would easily be able to handle it without a struggle.

Once I started I knew I couldn't or wouldn't turn back.  I was in it for the long haul.  Mostly I used my walking foot, but there were a few sections where I used free motion quilting.  The center has the best of both quilting techniques.  I'm a huge fan of frames with dense quilting placed around them.  

 

I worked from the center and tackled each circle with a different design.  There was marking, measuring and many times I was bewildered!  What should the next round be?  Too much, too little?!  And there were times when I doubted I could even pull it off.  

I was not going to let anything deter me.  If it works great, if not it was a good lesson and I actually was having a fun time with it!  



Finishing it with a matched binding was always in the cards.  Some things just have to be!



The detail on the backs of quilts is sometimes better than the front!  For this backing I used Kona Salmon.  It really highlights the quilting just as I had hoped it would.



Part of my motivation for this quilting adventure was to see if I could do it, and maybe gain enough confidence that I would tackle this quilt:



Which has been hanging on my design wall for a month or more.  The good news is I did gain confidence...as long as it's a small, small quilt.  I don't think I can handle a large quilt like this.  SO, any takers?!  I don't have connections to long arm quilters and frankly don't know where to go to find one who would be willing!    



The upside is I love this goofy little quilt!  For something wasn't meant to be anything, it sure turned into something!  There were plenty of hours put into the quilting...but worth every second!


LINKING:
PEACOCK PARTY   TGIFF 

22 comments :

  1. I have always admired your curve piecing, Jayne! Your quilting made this simple design into a work of art. I don't think it's goofy at all, quite the opposite :)

    -Soma

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  2. Jayne, honey, it’s perfect! You did such a wonderful job, and you enjoyed it! Win-win! Before I'd pass the larger quilt off to a Quilter, I’d search on Pinterest for circle quilts, and look at how others have embraced quilting circles. My first foray into circles was much how you described, but I had a blast, and mostly used my walking foot. You CAN do it! ~wink~

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    1. I’m very happy with the results of this quilt. It was so enjoyable quilting all the details and dare I say fun! I’m worried a larger quilt would be way too hard to maneuver in order to get the detail I’d like. Especially since most of it would be with a walking foot! I’ll take your advice on searching Pinterest though! I have a few ideas but I’m always looking for more! It may end up that I will have to quilt it myself and if that’s the case…I better have a plan!

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  3. You don't give yourself enough credit, Jayne. Your quilting is always amazing.

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    1. I know I can pretty much achieve what I’m after with small quilts. I’m not quite ready to tackle the kind of quilting on a large one. Although I have a feeling I’ll be doing just that!

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  4. I agree - your quilting is inspiring to ME! Beautiful little quilt!! And I totally understand your process. I don't really envision finished quilts either....just get started and see where it takes me!

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  5. Love your little experiment -- it turned out great! I know several long arm friends who I could recommend. Maybe one of them will jump in here and take you up on it. If not, let me know and I'll put you in touch if you wish.

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  6. Love Hot Spot, every detail.
    My own experience making bowl cozies for a fundraiser (over 500 in a few years)let me have fun with small, intricate quilting, and that has helped tremendously in getting going on quilting some larger projects I'm still at newbie stage on that, but I'm enjoying learning new skills.

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  7. It's awesome. You did a great job on the quilting.

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  8. You are a master of circles now, and the quilting was a great example of trying many designs, another challenge.

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  9. This quilt sings summer with the hot colors and circles. I know what you mean about staying small with a walking foot, but I bet you could do an awesome job of quilting the larger quilt by doing a bit at a time just as you did with the smaller one. The secret is lots of supportive space for the quilt so there isn’t a feeling of weight.

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  10. Your “goofy little quilt” is awesome!! I love the back, showing off your quilting. You keep getting better with each quilt, even if you don’t realize it.

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  11. I love the colors you used. It is a beautiful little quilt!

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  12. Oooh, girl! I am stealing some of those quilting motifs!!! I love the berry border especially.

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  13. You did an amazing job on the quilting Jayne and it is true the more we do it the better we get. It happens slowly. Your quilt is a great tribute to summer with all the oranges.

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  14. Another beautiful finish Jayne. Just think of the big quilt as 20 mini quilts. You can do it!

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  15. Wow, beautiful! 😍 Your quilting is perfect, and those circles are stunning! Great colors too!

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  16. You nailed it girl!! I think you did everything just right and in the right place. You got this, you can do the big one, just don't rush it-small bites at a time:)

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  17. I loved looking at all our different quilting ideas, Jayne! That's what I love about mini quilts - you can try things more easily without all that bulk to deal with. The bright oranges, yellows, and pinks really made me say "Wow!" when I saw it!

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  18. love this one! and it's not goofy at all

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