Custom Design

This week I have finally made some really significant progress on the commissioned quilt for Elisa. One might thing that I'd been ignoring it, but in reality my head has been working overtime on it. Once I finally thought through the entire process for finishing this quilt, I felt better about getting actual, physical work done on it. Click here for a post that includes our inspiration photo.

I finally have all the columns constructed. In previous pictures I've used here on the blog, the columns had been in sections. The pictures here show just three columns, but in actuality there are five. The bed I use for my photographs is a double bed; this quilt will be for a king bed. I will need to use the floor - or better yet, go outside and use the yard - in order to show all five columns fully.

My brain work was mostly focused on how to finish the quilt - the quilting, in particular. I would normally sew all the columns together and then prepare a back, buy a batting and then send the entire business off to my longarm quilting friend for some loose meander-style quilting.

However, Elisa is an artist, and as such has an eye for design. Her thinking is that this very linear quilt needs to have linear quilting done on it. And I have to say I agree with her. So my plan is to quilt it myself.

GULP.

This is the frightening part for me. I think I know how to do it, but the actual doing it is a difficult step to take. Taking the plunge into the unknown is just a bit daunting.

I will do a trial run with some remnant ends of these strips. I think I can construct a little quilt in the 12"x15" range, make my layers, and run it through my machine using the walking foot to quilt it. This will give me a visual of how the larger quilt will look. I am both apprehensive, yet eager, to do it. I've never created something so original - ever!

 DOUBLE GULP.

Happy Quilting, Friends!