Sunday, November 3, 2019

Update: 1930's Depression Era Quilting


 Quilting Revision

Imagine this: You're laying in bed in the middle of the night wondering if you should have added more quilting to a project. The batting package said, Quilt up to 8-10" apart. You wonder, "In every direction or does it count if there's 2" and then a channel?" The dog whines. You let the dog out, and you---dumb, dumb, dumb, you check your phone. And someone on your quilting list says, "I wonder if she put enough quilting around those plates?" That is cause for a hot flash, and you are wide awake, sister! Not to mention the quilt has already traveled half an hour back to the store for pick up for binding. Now aren't you glad this isn't you, but me?


I've heard so many variations on what quilting distance suggestions mean, but this video below left no question in my mind. 




It was time for Plan B. First brew tea, then out with the computer and trusty software, and plan a fix.





Here's what I came up with to add stitches to the space surrounding the Dresden plates. Cross hatching or an additional wreath around each one would add enough to stabilize the area. I wasn't sure until I had the quilt back, and could see how each would lay. I went back to bed, and back to sleep.






It was a quick hustle the next morning to the quilt shop, and back home before I could tell which solution would work. As you can see from this photo, creating wreaths around the corner plates may have been difficult. Someone on a quilting board offered excellent advice to do the cross hatching, but make it 4" apart. Brilliant!



So, in just 5 more hours of quilting it went from this...




...to this! 
Yes, it's more washable now, 
even more beautiful, 
and I can sleep easy.

Total working/quilting hours: 23

Come on, Doxie girls.
Let's go sew.

8 comments:

Quilting Babcia said...

Thanks for sharing a very informative video. I'll be sharing with my quilt ministry members, some of which don't want to do anything more dense than 8-10 inches, sigh. Your finished quilt is gorgeous, it deserved the extra pampering.

Angie in SoCal said...

Just right, Julie! Congrats.

KaHolly said...

Absolutely positively perfect, Julie! I hope you slept well that next night.

Barb N said...

This post made me smile, as the worries ring true with me, too! Why does the brain do that to us at night? Problem solving time, I suppose. You did exactly the right thing to put a bit more stitching in there! I have always wondered about the distance for the batting, i.e., if it included 'channels' of unstitched fabric. By looking at the video you posted, it does indeed, which makes perfect sense to me. I'm finding that with the computerized system, there is more room for 'spacing' error than when I did freehand. Now get some good sleep tonight!

patty a. said...

That was a great solution! I was thinking a bit more quilting was needed, but I didn't want to be a Debbie Downer and say anything. The cross hatching was the perfect solution. I had been thinking some echo quilting, but the cross hatching disguises any variance between the plates. I know I learned something!

Linda Swanekamp said...

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most elegant. Love the way the quilt finished. Good for you persevering.

audrey said...

I liked it before but the new additions really add to the depth of the quilt! Great job. And kudos to you for going back and doing the work. Sometimes it seems easier to just let things like this go but then we can end up with that little feeling of regret, knowing we are a better quilter than that.:)

Marly said...

It's lovely. I'm glad you have some good quilting friends who thought along with you. The solution is excellent.