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Tuesday, June 3, 2014

This is the Hardest Part for Me

I know I am not alone.  The pattern is chosen, the fabric is pulled, the blocks are made, the applique is done, the top is completed and then it's time to MACHINE QUILT!!!
After 10 years of getting comfortable with machine quilting on my domestic, I realize that this part of quiltmaking kind of still scares me!!  I just don't want to ruin all my hard work and it's so hard to rip out those stitches if I haven't chosen the right design. I've already auditioned lots of designs with an overlay and while I think I know what will look good, actually doing it is something else.
I am very confident of doing an all-over free hand design and I'm pretty sure that I can do a simple custom design on a simple patchwork block quilt.  But this vine and leaves applique and all this open space absolutely stalls me.  If I was hand quilting it would be no problem.  But I already know my starts and stops skills leave so much to be desired.
So the basting is done and I've been staring at it for 5 days!  I'm just waiting for the nerve to actually just start.
I've made a practice sandwich with some of the fabric to check my thread choices and then I'm going to just start.
Maybe tomorrow.....  I do kind of have a deadline on this so it can't stay like this forever.  
I'm off to work, have a great day,
Karen

10 comments:

FlourishingPalms said...

Me too! I'm always stumped about picking just the "right" quilting design. And inevitably, when I get started, I don't like it and have to unstitch. Now if someone just TOLD me what to quilt, I'd be fine. You're so cautious and meticulous that I'm sure your quilting will be awesome. What's the worst that can happen? That you won't like it and will take it out before showing us any pictures! :-)

Mayleen said...

I'm much less brave than you because I won't even try to quilt on my domestic sewing machine. I admire anyone who quilts with their sewing machine and I'm sitting here cheering you on!

audrey said...

And you're so good at machine quilting! I guess we all have that same fear of ruining our quilts.:) Get a tall glass of something yummy to drink and just go for it I say!

Vivian said...

I spend too little time planning how I'm going to quilt some of my projects. Sometimes I just turn on the machine, check my thread tension, and start quilting. Of course that's OK for quick quilts and plain quilts, but a beauty like this one would definitely stop me in my tracks.
I know you'll decide on the perfect pattern for stitching. Your quilting is always outstanding.

Every Stitch said...

Oh Karen - I know exactly how that feels. I do a fair amount of domestic machine quilting and am still terrified of the open spaces! Once you start I am sure it will be all wonderful :)

Janan Doster said...

I am sure the designs will come to you once you get started. I have never quilted on the home machine, other than small projects.
But you can do it!!!
Will you be using your new Juki machine?

Karen said...

I have not seen a bad choice quilting design from you yet. I think you will choose well.

Ruth said...

I'm with you on this. It is a relief when I make a quilt that will get an "overall" quilting design. That goes so quickly and easily. I have my 2 latest quilts that I will be gifting here. My GS's graduation quilt was an overall design and DS/DIL's was custom, which took about a week to do the stitching in all the sections and blocks. My next quilting job is my basket quilt with the medallion in the middle, which I echoed around the appliqué. I still need to do something in the flowers and leaves. Good luck with yours. I'm sure you will come up with something really pretty!

LuAnn said...

I could have written thus post!!! It's the same with me. The starts, stops and the shifting of a big quilt leave a lot to be desired. I've machine quilted (on my Bernina) one with an appliqué center. I just start 1/4" from the design and echo quilt it. Like you I know how much time that appliqué has taken me, and I stare a long while before I start, too. By the way, that quilt is just gorgeous Karen.

Kathryn D. Duke said...

Lovely...you will not mess it up!!