A pic of my very first quilt

[BowNessMonster]

I am pretty proud of this baby!

It is (pretty much) 45" square, and the quilting on the plaid side was pretty messy (but it's plaid, so it doesn't really show). The front is nice though

I quilted the stars on rust and in each green square is an old-fashioned bone button.

http://www3.telus.net/im2/fresh/starquilt.jpg

[PumpkinSeeds]

Very nice. Feels good to have it done, eh?

[rwikene]

that looks very comfy, nice job!

[pinky]

Looks great, very cozy!

Did you quilt it by hand of by machine? I love the stars!

(I love the piecing part of quilting but the quilting is always what holds me up!)

[Aster]

I really like the stars! Did you hand-quilt them?

[mama2mygirls]

Very nice, i really like the stars too.
you did a great job.

[rachel]

I agree, it looks great! ....and cozy too!

[ChildoftheMoon]

looks so warm and cozy! Beautiful job!

[warneral]

great! That is so nice!!!

[Craftymama]

I LOVE it. Great job. The stars really 'make' the quilt!

[BowNessMonster]

thanks ladies I forgot I posted the pic for a few days.

I machine quilted the stars. What I did was print out a star the size I wanted, pinned it to the squares and poked a hole at each point and each inner point with my marking chalk; then I removed the paper and just sewed from point to point.

Really, the underside was quite frustrating, the amount of shift and pucker Ah well, learning curve eh?

I can't wait to make one for dd...I think when we move into our own place I'll make her some thing special to cuddle with.

[BelovedBird]

Wow! Very pretty! Great Job Mama! If that is your first I just cannot imagine what your future quilts will look like.

-BelovedBird

[WendyLouWho]

Originally posted by barefoot in the sand
Really, the underside was quite frustrating, the amount of shift and pucker Ah well, learning curve eh?

I can't wait to make one for dd...I think when we move into our own place I'll make her some thing special to cuddle with.

Very nice job, Kendell! I like the idea of putting an antique button in some squares.

I've been collecting squares of fabric for a while to make both my boys and "Eye- Spy Quilt" something fun for them to cuddle under

On the backside pucker and shift...did you use spray adhesive, basting stitch or safety pins to baste the layers? I swear by 505 spray adhesive and safety pins every 5 inches for good measure...anything else and I have puckers and wrinkles on the back

[BowNessMonster]

On the backside pucker and shift...did you use spray adhesive, basting stitch or safety pins to baste the layers? I swear by 505 spray adhesive and safety pins every 5 inches for good measure...anything else and I have puckers and wrinkles on the back [/B]

where's the "ignoramus" emoticon? LOL! I never thought of anything like that. I just laid my backing fabric on the ground, then the batting, then an inner backing fabric, then kind of pinned it down. I flipped it over and tried to pin it at regular intervals to make a pattern with the plaid. Next time I will try something like you suggest.

I used an uneven-thickness poly filling (cause it was already in my closet) but for dd's I am going to use wool.

[daphynmama]

Originally posted by barefoot in the sand
I used an uneven-thickness poly filling (cause it was already in my closet) but for dd's I am going to use wool.

I haven't made a real quilt yet but I want to try one soon. Have you heard anything about using 100% cotton filling (like warm and natural)? My local quilt shop also has 100% organic cotton fleece batting. It seems really nice and soft.

[gardenmom]

I've been quilting for about 2 years now (self-taught)...I like the
100% cotton batting because it gives that nice, thin but warm, 'heirloom' look and feel. I use it on items that I intend to last for a long time (like a huge wedding quilt that I gave to friends, wall hangings, and other items that I don't expect to be used a lot).

For baby quilts, table runners, etc--things that will be used and washed a lot, I usually use either a thin poly or a blend of poly and cotton.

If you're hand quilting, the cotton is much harder to needle through, but worth it for that thin look and softness.

PS--Your quilt is a great first quilt!!! I bought a walking foot but have yet to machine quilt anything...afraid to screw it up!! To get rid of the puckering effect...I suggest a thinner batting, and also definitely either baste or pin baste to keep things flat..it'll do wonders!

[Knittin' in the Shade]

Looks great-Can't wait to see future quilts!

A few tips, too Wool is really hard to quilt through, so proceed with caution. I really like the cotton batting, nice and warm and natural. And you've got to use pins, woman! I pin about every 2.5" so that nothing shifts

[daphynmama]

Originally posted by gardenmom
For baby quilts, table runners, etc--things that will be used and washed a lot, I usually use either a thin poly or a blend of poly and cotton.

Does cotton batting not wash as well?

[panda]

I've made a few baby quilts with thin cotton batting, and they seem to be holding up pretty well. But then I don't have anything to compare it to. I love the way the cotton batting drapes, if that's the right word. I love the texture and weight of it.

I've never used spray adhesive in quilting, but I use it all the time at work (graphic design). Is this a special adhesive for sewing that washes out, or is it just regular spray glue. I can see where it would do a great job of preventing shifts and buckles in the back side.

Beautiful quilt! I love the colors!

[gardenmom]

To answer your question daphynmama--the cotton batting that they sell today is woven, so it won't bunch up or come apart in the wash. It should hold up forever!

I use the poly on heavy wear/use quilts because:

1... it's usually cheaper and
2...easier to quilt through (since I hand quilt).

When I'm trying to make a gift in a short time that I assume will be used to death (and not passed on to future generations), I figue it's not worth it in cost and extra quilting time for the 100% cotton.

For making a large bed-sized patchwork quilt or a wall hanging, the cotton is the only thing I'd use...it just looks wonderful!!!