Friday, June 11, 2010

Baltimore Bliss

by Karen on June 11, 2010

in Baltimore Bliss, Quilting on the road

I made this quilt top last year and had it put aside until I got caught up on other hand quilting projects.  I knew that my border was a little ruffly but I didn’t think it was as bad as what it was when I took it out to start getting it ready for quilting.  I took off the 5 inch border that was the same color as the background fabric of the quilt and replace it with a two inch pale pink batik.  The batik doesn’t have the tiny bit of stretch that the yellow has so I thought that would be better for it.  It still has a little but of ruffle so it was the large half square triangles that were the problem.  Yet when there is no border on it – it appeared to lay flat – go figure.  The pattern blocks are designed by Fat Cat Patterns a BOM that was free last year and I see after looking at the site that it was offered free once again as it was so popular.  There are 12 blocks given, I used six for this quilt and have the patterns saved to make another quilt with a different color scheme with the ones left over.

The quilt - 47 inches x 70 inches - crib size.

one of the two blocks that I put a feathered wreath in .

a Corner feather

a side feather

the backing fabric

The quilt is now pin basted and folded with the thread that I will use (a bright yellow King Tut thread) and put in a zippered plastic bag ready to take on the camping trip this summer.  Don’t you just love those zippered bags that sheets and things come in now!  I have quite a few gathered up for projects.

Next to get ready for the trip is the Red and Green Traditional Applique blocks – I am going to try for 3 or 4 – this should  be way  more than I will get to, but I would rather have more than less and run out of down time quilting.  Daytime we will be busy with sightseeing and hiking but with 8 weeks there will be days here and there when we need a break and will be just relaxing I’m sure!

Thanks for all the compliments on the red/cream Dear Jane blocks/rows.  The border will be the traditional Dear Jane border.  The pieced blocks using the same fabric as the blocks and the plain triangles and the scallops will be the butter cream fabric.

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Well here are the 13 rows all put together.  You most likely won’t be seeing this one again for awhile.  I really and truly am taking a break from this one now for the rest of the summer and will try to get started on the borders and corners this fall.

276 hours of work in this hand pieced wonder so far. I estimate about another 100 or close to that to do the border and corners. And no I really do not plan to make another one - I think 2 is enough. It will be time to try other challenges after this one is done.

I took the Baltimore Bliss quilt out the other day to start looking it over a bit.  A couple weeks ago I had drawn some feathered wreaths on the two plain blocks and some feathers in the half square triangle and corner areas.  When looking it all over though I found that my border just wasn’t laying flat enough.  When I put it on I had noticed a little stretch here in there but thought it was going to be ok when it was quilting. When I got it out yesterday though to start drawing a quilting grid on it I decided it wasn’t good enough – not flat enough and it would be hard to quilt it out well.  I got out the trusty seam ripper and took all four borders off (plain borders) and now today it is back to the thinking on what to do with it to finish it off.  With the borders off it lays flat so the problem was when I put the borders on it.  I’m sure I will solve the problem and really want to get it done today if I can.  I still have the same fabric so not a problem there.  The fault (besides me) is that the fabric has just a little stretch to it and the quilt is set on point so there are half square triangles on the edges.  I need to be more careful.

I’ll show a photo tomorrow or next of the completed top.

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