Sunday Stash #89

No introduction required:

Fat Quarter Bundles of Sherbet Pips by Aneela Hoey were available from Fabric Worm and Fat Quarter Shop for just moments before being sold out! I happened to be in the right place at the right time.

 Yardage available in April!

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You will be happily surprised to see that the patchwork fabrics are now on the ground floor.  Yay!  Awesome renovation and a huge range of fabrics ... and the staff are so friendly, nothing is ever too much trouble. 

If you are a RPQ Facebook Fan you may have already seen these fabrics this week.  I stocked up on some great basics. As you can see - lots of dots! 

From top to bottom:

• Lecien - Color Basics - aqua dot on tomato red
• Yellow Check and Yellow Dot are both A Day in the Country fabrics.
• Pink and Blue fabrics with white polka dot Essentials by XLN Fabrics*
• Tanya Whelan - Delilah - Dots in white
• Essentials by XLN Fabrics - White polka dot on Black *

* Essentials by XLN Fabrics are very much like Kei Honeycomb both in print and quality, and very reasonably priced.

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And finally a big THANK YOU for all of your very kind comments regarding the baby quilt made last week.  I thought I would answer some of the questions raised in the comments section right here:

I use 100% cotton batting (Matilda's Own) for my quilts.  I am a long time fan of 100% cotton batting because it is a natural fiber with a low loft (height) which makes it easier to work with, and has great stability.  Cotton batting makes for a thin quilt with less bulk and a beautiful drape ~ and that's just how I like my quilts to look.

I have recently trialled a wool/cotton blend batting which is also a low loft batting, but I wasn't too happy with how thoroughly the wool/cotton fibers were needle punched to the scrim, and have therefore reverted back to the trusted cotton batting.

Dense quilting does affect the texture of the quilt but it doesn't overly detract from the drape of the quilt.  My experience is that once the quilt has been washed and used regularly it becomes more and more supple and  drapes gracefully.

The baby quilt is made from 2-patch squares for which I have made up my own block size; the squares are not the same size as the pattern detailed in the book:    Fresh Quilting: Fearless Color, Design, and Inspiration by Malka Dubrawsky.  You can readily adapt this design to any block size:  make a square of any size by sewing together two equal size rectangles; in this case, sew together two rectangles measuring 2.5 x 4.5 inches.

This is a traditional and  versatile block, and layouts can be varied and blocks tessellated to create a completely different  effect:

Have no hesitation getting your own copy of the book - it has many projects that are colorful, clever and functional.  My quilting book library wouldn't be complete without it!

Signing off from a lengthy post,
Rita

A Little Bit about Batting

Now that one of the teens has resumed school for her final year after a 2 1/2 month Summer break, I have  quickly come to realize that late nights and early mornings do NOT mix.  Only a little sewing has taken place so far this week:

A lot of unproductive time filled with distractions (as well as two days of 40C ~ ugh!).  As you can see I have unrolled my Sherbet Pips Jelly Roll (first time Jelly Roll user here folks ~ and also discovered that they're a little messy) and have stitched up a really simple quilt top and basted it.

Today I also cut into a new roll of batting ~ a wool/cotton blend batting (I buy a whole roll at a time which lasts for quite some time).

I am a long time fan of 100% cotton batting because it is a natural fiber with a low loft (height) which makes it easier to work with, and has great stability.  Cotton batting makes for a thin quilt with less bulk and a beautiful drape ~ and that's just how I like my quilts to look.

However, I am really keen to give this new Cotton/Wool blend product a try!  The Cotton/Wool blend batting is slightly more lofty than the 100% Cotton batting but I don't think it will make a noticeable difference in the quilt. This batting is all natural, great for allergies, cool in Summer, warm in Winter and machine washable.

Although polyester batting has many fine qualities (lightweight, cheap, easy to wash, quick to dry) I avoid it, preferring an all natural product over synthetic.  All bats are suitable for machine quilting, the product you use is a personal decision and one that very much affects the look of the finished quilt.

Preparing batting for use:
I have previously written about preparing/washing batting ~ see here.

Although the manufacturer's instructions indicate that batting does not shrink noticeably I do wash the batting  with a no-rinse cleaning product called SOAK before use.  It takes at least 4 hours for the water to be absorbed into the closely compacted fibers (I often leave it to soak overnight). I then drain the water and spin it in the washing machine at high speed to extract water. I either line dry the batting or if pushed for time, I will dry it in the dryer.   As I use an all natural batting product I remove wrinkles and creases (if any) with a dry iron.

I have not had any problems subjecting this brand of batting to this rigorous procedure.

Ready to start quilting ...
Rita

My Space Today

I am spending the day finishing the quilting of my new Oranges, Lemons and Limes quilt.

Thankfully all is going to plan. Just one tip (and I am sure you are all aware of this obvious statement) - always be sure to cut the batting large enough to comfortably cover the quilt top.

This is an example of what not to do. The batting I used for this quilt was a leftover piece from a previous quilt and I really wanted to use it rather then cut into more of my larger pieces of batting. I knew it was always going to be a tight squeeze, however, this was ridiculously close, and caused much more stress than I was willing to endure.

I hope to show you some pictures of backing and binding soon.

Lunar Dust and Frog Ponds

I have again been sidetracked, this time by one of my purchases at the Melbourne Craft and Quilt Fair last month. I bought some gorgeous solid fabric from Reece Scannell. They are a Sydney based company selling high quality cotton fabrics that have a silk-like reflective sheen.

Their solid fabrics are soft, light-weight and their color range is extensive. Their fabrics are available only in single packet lengths of 19 inches x 36 inches, and I purchased two pieces in colorway 56 Lunar Dust. It is a grey fabric, but with a texture not unlike that of linen.

Several of the fabrics that I had set aside for this little quilt featured frogs and the rest of the printed fabrics were picked to compliment the overall frog pond theme.

Finished Quilt Size: 24 inches x 31 inches

The back of this baby quilt is also pieced using some of the same printed fabrics as in the quilt top and the all of the remaining solid grey fabric.

I keeping with the overall light-weight feel of the quilt top and backing I used QuiltLite as a batting. I have used this product in some of my previous quilts, and can described it best as a very loosely woven flannel fabric.

QuiltLite

I love using this product as it makes for a really drapey and thin quilt. This quilt is more like a thin light-weight blanket and is definitely soft enough to use as a baby wrap.

This little frog pond was quilted with straight vertical lines just over 1 inch apart, and bound (by machine!) in a light green floral Japanese print. It is now for sale in my Etsy Store.

Basting and Batting

Basting

I spent today on the floor - no not scrubbing it! - but basting the Block Party Quilt.

There is little joy in basting a quilt and having received a few emails asking how I go about basting my quilts I can give you a little run down of what works best for me. There are many ways to baste a quilt and this is just one way.

I start by making a backing sufficiently big enough (ie 4 inches larger than the quilt top all around). The back has to be nice and flat - no nasty ripples or waves.

1. I tape the backing face down onto the floor with masking tape. I tape each corner down first, ensuring the top is firm, quite firm, probably much tighter than you would think necessary. Gently pull the fabric tight. But it should not be stretched out of shape. Using masking tape, tape around the edges, pulling the backing so that it is firm. I use 4-5 inches of tape at very close intervals (often most of the edges are taped).

Pinning the outside edges first

2. Place the batting on top, again taping it firmly to the floor. (I usually just tape the corners and tape the sides in one or two places). If the batting has a scrim, which my batting usually does, ensure it is facing down. The scrim is a netting type of fabric that helps to support the fibers..

3. Place the quilt on top, ensure it is centered and lined up with the backing. Start pinning along the bottom edge. Start at the center of the quilt working out to the corners. As I pin I ensure that the quilt top is taut also. Then pin along the left and right side of the quilt. The top edge of the quilt is done last.

I pin the outside of the whole quilt first which is contrary to most basting instructions. Once the edges are all pinned, I pin the rest of the quilt.I place a pin every 3 to 4 inches which means using a lot of pins. And there you have it, a basted quilt.

This is how I baste most of my quilts, there is however no right or wrong way to baste a quilt, and if you baste your quilts differently, and if it is working for you, then great, stick with what works for you! I have not tried basting spray and would love to hear your experience with it and if you know of any possible long term effects it may have on the fabric.

A sneak peek at the pieced backing

Batting

I use Matilda's Own Batting, either 100% cotton or a wool/cotton blend. It has a scrim which also helps to stabilize the quilt sandwich. I often wash the batting before use, although manufacturer's instructions indicate that this batting does not shrink noticeably.

I wash my batting by allowing it to soak in warm water in the bathtub. I add a product called SOAK to the water, which is a no-rinse cleaning product. It takes at least 4 hours for the water to be absorbed into the closely compacted fibers (I often leave it to soak overnight). I then drain the water and spin it in the washing machine at high speed to extract water. I either line dry the batting or if pushed for time, I will dry it in the dryer.

Although I realize that washing the batting is often unnecessary, I like to think that the batting inside my quilts is able to withstand many washes and does not in future distort the shape of the quilt. I have not had any problems subjecting this brand of batting to this rigorous procedure.

EDITED TO ADD: Matilda's Own batting now comes pre-washed and pre-shrunk and I no longer wash the batting prior to use.