Last week, I happily took on six quilts from Quilts Beyond Borders, thanks to the coordinator, Susan Schmidt, who graciously dropped them off. This charity provides a 108"-wide piece of backing, wide batting, and two lap-size quilts for each project. If your frame isn't large enough to handle them side-by-side, you quilt one first and then the other right below it.
I've spent the past few days working on the first four quilts. It's been a great chance to test out some new pantographs and use up those partially-full bobbins.
Quilted with Avril E2E. |
Woodlands B2B |
Quilted with Marion Rounded E2E. |
The last quilt in this batch proved quite tricky. It was serged with mismatched seams and uneven edges—truly wonky, as we say in quilting. Despite its imperfections, I continued working on it because I had started the batch and these quilts are destined for refugees who might just be thankful for a warm blanket, regardless of its flaws.
I quilted this one with the Florence B2B because it had no backstitching and would be pretty forgiving of my fabric-easing efforts. |
This quilt required significant effort to manage, as it wouldn't lie flat. I had to carefully guide the long-arm to ease the fabric and avoid pleating, even sewing down a pleat along one edge to keep it square. It was the most labor-intensive quilt of the lot, but the outcome was satisfactory. I hope it brings warmth and comfort to its new owner.
I still have two more quilts to finish, but I'm taking a short break to recharge.