Sunday, December 11, 2011

DSQ: Shock and Fear

I finished the Dead Simple Quilt top.  It is HUGE.  I did my quilt maths, I knew it was going to be 70" x 90"... look, it says so on my scrappy notes* (do your quilt notes look like this too?!) but, do you know how big 70" x 90" actually is?  It is enormous. 


Here is a picture of said quilt top in the garden*.  My husband is holding it up.  It might be worth pointing out that my husband is 6'4" and is standing on a step... did I mention that this quilt is big?!


I have to admit to not being a particularly experienced quilter, and so the prospect of quilting this bad boy is fearsome.  Any tips for me?!!

*please excuse the poor quality of these images.  This post is not about beautiful lifestyle images but about the quantity of adrenalin coursing through my veins.

7 comments:

  1. It is stunning - I must have missed your original post, I love the fabrics you've used, especially the social climber (I came to sewing too late to get any, sadly).
    I wouldn't have the foggiest how to quilt it. Quilts half that size scare me. Good luck!

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  2. Oh this is one of Lynne's wild ideas, you should have guessed it would be HUGE!!
    Straight lines all the way! I couldn't imagine trying to wield it any other way.
    It does look totally awesome though - I love it!

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  3. Love it :) The colours are great! Mine's still waiting to be quilted too.

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  4. Tips:
    1. Lots of space around your sewing machine, particularly behind the machine. Also a small table/ironing board on your left to hold some of the weight.
    2. Baste it a lot - either with masses of safety pins, or with lines of big hand stitches about 20cm apart in a grid.
    3. Go for a simple quilting design that doesn't require turning the quilt too much, and that you can keep consistent over the whole quilt top.
    4. Start towards the centre of the quilt, and work outwards towards the edges - that way you get the worst over first!
    5. Good luck. You can do it.

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  5. Beautiful! Those colours look lovely all together. Good luck with the quilting, lots of tea breaks is my advice ;)

    And weren't you clever to marry a beanpole? He makes a wonderful 'quilt holder'.

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  6. This is wonderful and yes it is huge - I like to make quilts that you can sleep under on the sofa on a SUnday afternoon! I'd straight line quilt - less margin for error and it always looks lovely.

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  7. I really love your DSQ, such wonderful colours.
    Sorry no tips for the quilting, I haven't quilted anything bigger than a cushion cover yet.
    P.S. my other half is also 6'4"

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