some time back, oh it must be at least a year one of the ladies from church and a previous member of Quilting Sisters group told me she had a Disney panel she intended for a quilt for her granddaughter.
She said the main character was off-set and she was not sure how to make the quilt top. Would I look at it and see what I thought. Sure, send me a picture of it or bring it to Church one week.
However, the timing never quite happened. Life, health such things get in the way of our plans.
Then a text message that she had decided not to continue with the project at all, would I like the wadding she had, as now she would not need it.
Sure wadding always comes in handy. She was passing so brought it over, the wadding, the panel, backing material and thread.
I took a look at the panel. I was rather surprised at the size of it. Usually the panels I have seen are about the size of a baby quilt, some much smaller, some a little larger. This was not a little larger it was massive! Well bigger than the top of a double bed. The central character was in proportion to the size of the whole!
Hm, what to do with it. I could no see me making it into something the size of the illustrated piece of material. Perhaps just the character on his own (pretty sure its a he, I could be wrong I have only seen that movie once) with maybe a thin edge in the backing material then another in the main top colour.
Just quilting round the character would not be enough but perhaps some textural meandering machine quilting would do.
Yes, there I was contemplating making the quilt for the granddaughter, but trying to keep it simple and quick (stop laughing I can do that sometimes honest I can) after all I am friends with the whole family.
Within two days of her popping around I had a fairly firm plan, within four the panel was cut and the framing edges added.
I thought I would do the edge quilting and the binding first, then the middle later. Yeah later can be tricky but that was the plan.
A day later and the edge quilting is done and the first outline, the second is well underway. but not the binding, that would need a change of top thread. I was using blue on the top and pink on the bottom. Funny that pink it didn't look like a perfect match it was just the pink I had so I was using it. Sometimes if you pause for just the right thing you end up stopping altogether. But once off the spool and on the material it was exactly the right shade.
With all the outlines done thread ends needed sewing in before I could consider any areas of fill and what that might entail.
The sewing in was finished off during a BFF RAL evening, and I am always surprised just how many ends there are to sew in. By the time I had done that it became obvious I needed to get the edge bound as the pink material was rather prone to fraying, the blue panel material was fine.
Edge turned and pinned and then contemplate how to sew it down keeping paragraph nine above in mind, just machine or also needle turn?
Ah just on the machine, and it cooperated so well that I did the quilting in the ears at the same time. With changes to the foot, form the quilting foot to the free motion embroidery foot and of course a change to the top thread was required for a darker pink. Whilst there is some puffiness here and there I think it went well all things considered. I just did it free motion here no plan, just where the needle took me.
However, for the next parts on the body and for the surrounding Space a plan was needed and I drew on the intended route with washable markers.
I say intended as the sewing machine often has ideas of its own I think. Two shades of blue for the body before going back to the dark blue for the space. I managed that in one continuous line, the bottom thread cooperating and not running out.
Last bit of quilting done, not looking too bad from the front and I can live with the back, well not that I have to live with it as I am not keeping it.
Just the label to make and add for it to be all finished. Used the backing material for the label and some fabric dye pens to write on the name of the quilt and the make information.
Now while I was waiting for the pen to cure, these particular pens need 6 hours drying time and then ironing on the reverse, I was tidying away the off cuts and a thought occurred to me. Yeah dangerous I know, that there was enough material to make a pillow case, and enough to patch a bag to put the quilt in.
And I had been doing so well with the KISS plan. Ah well I have thought it, and pinned it, then the next evening sewed both. I have however run out of energy on the project. Therefore the bits left that would be enough for a cushion cover are still bits.
On one more day and the washed quilt (the marking pen came out and the label pen stayed in) and it was off to deliver the gift. Quilt and pillowcase in the bag, bag in a plastic one for transporting.
Handed it over and she was delighted with the bag, oh things inside and the pillowcase came out next and the dark blue space was admired. Then the quilt, folded with the backing showing the pink was well received and turn and there is Stitch, her favourite, so happy with it. The pillowcase went straight onto a pillow and plans were made to facetime family and show it off.
I did point out that Grandma was to thank for the material and colour choices and how the quilt had come to be (that's referenced on the label as well). Ah but then in the talking about the making I mentioned the almost cushion cover that might well have been had a zip been within gripping reach before I ran out of steam. And lo and behold they just happened to have a long pink zip! Hm there may be a cushion cover at some point after all, perhaps next time I am having a zippity do da day!
These are pictures of the recipient holding her quilt and in her Stitch PJ's, yes you can only see her feet , so you will just have to take my word for it. I think she did a grand job of modelling it so that the quilting shows up.
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It looks a bit scarier from the back, which again is easy to see with Grace holding it up, and the bit my BFF likes to look at.
And Grandma S ? Well I had not told her I was doing this so she had a nice surprise when Grace facetimed her to share her delight and thank her for choosing the perfect materials. She was pleased that the material had been used and Grace had her quilt after all.
And for me it was nice to have something go from concept to finish so quickly and get to practice that free motion quilting.
Regular visitors to my blog will be getting used to me adding Forestella songs, well in this case it is a PITTA song (from one of the members solo albums) it just felt like it fitted the character and that deep blue space. And this has the added benefit of translations from the Korean.
Oh and this weeks SAL/RAL well some more going in circles, and a star.
Bits of quilting on the Bits-A-Quilt.
Mostly relaxing, except when I swept the needle away when moving the hoop, happily I found it painlessly.
CLICK HERE for my BFF's update.
We are waiting on the post to go back to the SAL, although this total RAL has been quite relaxing in its own way.
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