Happy Days Quilting

A blog about Applique and Quilting

Monday 6 January 2014

Oakshott Applique quilt

Well I wanted the quilting to be puffy but ended out with more puff than I anticipated, I used the same double layer of batting on my pickle dish quilt and had no trouble but because I didn't like the quilt as much after I washed it as it went all crinkly, I hand washed the batting before using it again (even though its not recommended)
I also quilted it in the wrong order which hasn't helped, complete fools don't rush to quilt the outside design they start in the middle and work outwards.
My plan was to do some straight line cross hatch type of quilting to compliment the curve border but if I do that on the machine I will get creases, so plan b is to hand quilt it hoping that it will lay flat, as I have never hand quilted anything before that idea might not work out either, any advice would be welcome at this point :)
I am linking this post to design wall monday over at Patchwork Times (sorry that this is not an active link my phone isn't up to it.)

Thursday 2 January 2014

Janome horizon 7700

Happy New year, lets hope its a great one, its already started well for me as Father Christmas brought me a new sewing machine, well actually its a second hand horizon that I bought off ebay in early December, but after giving it a quick test run it went away until after the festivities.

I have tried the blanket stitch which I used around the appliqué and now I am doing the free motion quilting, yesterday I had trouble as I was making little knots if the needle kept sewing when I stopped moving the fabric (see photo below), it only took one or two extra stitches, it was never a problem for my bernina but I know now that I need to stop dead when repositioning the quilt, there is a special bobbin case that you can buy for free motion quilting but I'm going to spend longer getting uesd to the machine before I think about buying it as some reviews I've read say that it makes no difference, my tension is off in places but that could be my fault, I have two layers of batting which makes it very puffy so its not easy to sew around the appliqué, the free motion foot is adjustable and is supposed to skim over the fabric so I'm playing with that. 

Its definitely all a learning curve after using a bernina for so long, my foot/speed control needs work and using new feet takes getting used to.

My new years resolution is to sew more, last year I only finished one quilt so I am on a sure winner to keep that one :)