Two Quilting Projects

I am currently (actively!) working on two quilts. One is a paper pieced project I started for a class and the other is a baby quilt. One has a deadline and the other doesn’t. Can you guess which one?

I paper pieced the first quilt using batiks, which isn’t what I usually use in my quilts, but I wanted to try this technique of paper piecing and the designer was teaching a two day course at a local quilt shop so I gave it a try. The paper piecing part is finished and now I’m working on sewing everything together so it will be a quilt top.

The technique involves cutting your fabric into very specific sizes. If you follow the designer’s directions you end up with much less waste than is usual when you paper piece. I spent an afternoon at a shop that specialized in batiks (the owner is now retired and the shop is closed) selecting my fabrics. I’d have to look at the pattern again, but I believe I had to select over 30 different fabrics! The woman working that afternoon helped me or I would probably still be there trying to make a decision.

I was very happy with my selections, but the designer was not. On the first morning of the two day class she told me my fabrics would not work!

I am working on the curved piecing right now, using forked pins and easing it in as I go. I put one in each end and one in the center and that works quite well.

As soon as I finish the top, I plan to take it to the same shop employee who helped me select my fabrics. She does machine quilting. There is no way I’ll be able to hand quilt through the batiks and I know she’ll do a nice job of showing off all of those points.

The second quilt is currently in the hand quilting stage. I am having a slight problem with the lamb in the center of the quilt. It has the usual top, backing and batting, but it also has an additional layer of fabric for the appliqué lamb and a thin layer of batting underneath the lamb so the top doesn’t show through the white fabric. Soooo…. instead of quilting the usual way I am doing a stab down, stab up motion. It is taking awhile, but I really want those curly shapes in the lamb’s fleece to show.

Grandbaby number two is expected in mid-July, so I hope to be done with all of it except the label by then.