It's officially the first weekend of my summer. And, I am up north hanging with my sister while my parents take off to the ocean. Girls weekend!
This project has been a long time coming, but it's finally done. On my last post about this project I got a lot of questions about the whole "no-batting" approach to quilting.
So here goes ...
SUMMER WEIGHT QUILTS: NO BATTING
Final Thoughts
Bulk at Seams: Knowing I wasn't going to put batting in this quilt, I pressed all my seams open to reduce the bulk. There is still some bulk at the corners, but the hand quilting hides most. You can still feel the seams through the quilt. This doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. It adds a little character to the hand quilting.
Hand Quilting: I used Perle cotton #8 in white for all the hand quilting. Something that is easy to find at JoAnn Fabric, or you can spring for a more fancy brand. The hand quilting is chunky and creates a ripple in the fabric to add texture. Here is my tutorial to learn more.
My Opinion: There is a time and place for no batting. A quilt with big squares would be perfect, the less seams the better! Also something that is hand quilted or tied would give the quilt better drape. I'm not sure machine quilting would look good. My thought is, it would be bad. Having spent many hours under this quilt while hand quilting, I must admit I love the weight. It wasn't too warm and was warm enough. Just perfect.
This isn't an answer to every quilt, but it is possible with the right conditions.
Binding: This was also my first attempt as using the backing as the binding. I thought the double bias binding would create too much bulk and mess with how lovely this quilt drapes. It worked out better than expected and was super easy.
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So, this weekend while antiquing I did find an old sidebar that I am going to convert into a kitchen island.
Exciting.
My father didn't share in my excitement as he had to go pick it up 20 minutes aways. As a reward, he got an old road sign to put on the pole barn.
I think it was a fair compromise. Other than the fact I put another 100 things on his "Daddy Do" list in the course of 3 hours. I guess he does deserve a weekend away!
P.S. I also found a stack of weathered hardwood up in the attic of this barn. Hello, dining room table!
I think the weight and drape of this quilt looks very lovely. I think that pressing seams open and larger blocks like you mention could help with bulk in areas, but I also kind of like the idea of the quilt having more of a tactile difference in spots, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts on how this project went. Given my avoidance of hand sewing of any kind I probably won't try this technique since I prefer machine quilting. I love the look of your hand sewing and it makes me want to touch the quilt to feel it's softness and texture. Seeing your dad's barn and woodpile always makes me smile for some reason. It plays right into how I imagine the perfect New England estate would look.
ReplyDeleteThe quilt is beautiful! I have done the wrap-around binding and like it for some situations. I haven't done the no batting before, but will keep it in mind as I consider new projects. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for taking the time to tell us more about the no batting project. It looks lovely, and I will certainly try at least a small quilt this way. Just because. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations.The quilt is so gorgeous and love your fabric combo.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea. I should consider making something like this. Our summers are so HOT!
ReplyDeleteI love antiquing too. We have just bought a holiday house in a town with great bric-a-brac and antique shops, and I get to furnish it!
Thanks Chelsea. This definitely looks like a project for this part of the world. I checked your other tutorial out as well. Interesting! What sort of needle did you use?
ReplyDeleteSo soft and pretty, great work with the hand quilting, wonderful finish!
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