Tuesday 27 August 2013

Pies and Tarts - In A Quilt Sandwich!

Pies and Tarts Quilt, with navy background
Pies and Tarts Quilt, with navy background
It is a month since I finished hand quilting the Red and White Pinwheel Quilt, so yesterday I decided it was time to prepare the next quilt waiting in the queue.  Back in January, I told you about how I had finished the top to my Pies and Tarts Quilt. Yes, it has been hand stitched, and this time, the English Paper Pieced Pies and Tarts have been appliqued onto the navy background.  It was quilt sandwich time!

Millefiore GP92, Kaffe Fassett for Rowan Fabric
Millefiore GP92, Kaffe Fassett for Rowan
I am backing the quilt with a Kaffe Fassett fabric, Millefiore GP92, which is nice and busy to hide the quilting stitches, and also because of the circular patterns mirroring the circles on the front. It's a bit deeper in colour in actual life v. internet.

Quilters Dream Poly Batting - Midnight Black
Quilters Dream Poly Batting - Midnight Black
In the middle of the sandwich I am using Midnight Black Quilters Dream Poly.  One of the first quilts I ever made was a small Wedding Ring Quilt, in navy and Japanese fabrics.  I had hand stitched it and had put a 100% cotton wadding in the middle.  Once I started the quilting, I realised to my horror that every stitch pulled out a beard of white cotton onto the navy top. I had to abandon the hand quilting and do it on the machine.  I was not happy, but the lesson was learnt - dark fabrics need a dark wadding.

Making a Quilt Sandwich - Laying the Top onto the Wadding
Making a Quilt Sandwich - Laying the Top onto the Wadding
This is a double quilt, 75" x 75" square, so I knew it was going to take the best part of the day to baste.  Over the years I have done a few of these, and my technique improves slightly each time.  Having unpacked the batting, I unfolded it and let it 'relax' overnight.  Then, the first stage is quite simple, you just need to lay the quilt top onto the batting, smoothing it out, so it as flat as a pancake.

Making a Quilt Sandwich - Rolling Quilt and Wadding onto a tube
Making a Quilt Sandwich - Rolling Quilt and Wadding onto a tube
Using a long tube, I roll just the top and the wadding onto it, making sure any wrinkles are smoothed out, and then put it aside.

Fixing the quilt backing to the floor with masking tape
Fixing the quilt backing to the floor with masking tape
Now for the backing.  I lay the backing onto the floor face down, and using masking tape, fix the backing fabric to the floor, making it a taut as possible.  This stage will save you hours of trying to line up the three layers.

Making the Quilt Sandwich
Making the Quilt Sandwich
Once fixed, line up the roll with the quilt top and wadding, and unroll. Easy Peasy! All you need to do now is fix them together ...

I had toyed with using the quilters safety pins, I even bought some.  But being realistic, when you are hand quilting, you really don't know how long the quilt is going to be in this state - it could be years, so I opted for the tried and true basting it together with tacking stitches.
Pies and Tarts Quilt, Brights on Navy
Pies and Tarts Quilt, Brights on Navy
The task was an opportunity to admire all the colour combinations I had chosen from my stash for the Pies and Tarts Quilt. I love the quilt, and I enjoyed making it.


Sparky the cat on the Pies and Tarts Quilt
Sparky the cat on the Pies and Tarts Quilt
It took the majority of the day to get this done.  My fingers hurt.  My whole body hurts from sitting on the floor. But it was nice to have some moral support from Sparky, the cat, and the good news is that I even have the quilting pattern planned ready to get stitching over the winter months!

Linking with Freemotion By the River and WIP Wednesday!
 

27 comments:

  1. What a beautiful, beautiful quilt and all the fantastic colors and fabrics in it....wow! This will be a wonderful winter project to quilt. Thanks for sharing.
    Freemotion by the River Linky Party Tuesday

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm glad you're finishing this quilt - it deserves a special spot in your home. Plus, Sparky will love you even more for it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow, this is just amazing! So beautiful pattern and wonderful fabrics!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow, it looks amazing. Wonderful colors.

    Greetings, Manuela

    ReplyDelete
  5. What great fabrics for your pies and tarts, it's gorgeous!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Beautiful quilt top! what pattern did you chose for the quilting?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your quilt is amazing! I feel your back pain being on the floor that long. I sandwich my quilts similar to how yo do it on the floor. I really like how you roll the top and batting together. I will have to try it that way. It's nice to have our furry friends helping us out!

    ReplyDelete
  8. really lovely quilt! the colors show up so beautifully against the dark background!

    :) Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation

    ReplyDelete
  9. What an AMAZEBALLS quilt! I am dying here it is such a feast for the eyes! Kudos!

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is so beautiful. I love the dark background and will remember to use black when I sandwich my dark quilts.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Beautiful! Hope you feel better soon - especially knowing the basting task is done. Happy (hand) quilting!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow - such a vibrant beautiful quilt! Looking forward to seeing the quilting.
    Hilda

    ReplyDelete
  13. That is a beautiful quilt top! I bast the same way, putting the top and batting together first and taping the back to the floor. I use safety pins though all the time. I bet that tacking with stitches, though, would make my crazy stash of safety pins unnecessary, haha.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Very pretty quilt, the colors are wonderful. I am always amazed at the hand work other do, I think the hand quilting will be gorgeous! Hope your not so sore today!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. The colours in your quilt are absolutely gorgeous. I know I'd be spending the entire quilting experience drooling over every combination! Enjoy your winter admiring :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Gorgeous - I'm anxious to hear your thoughts on the black batting. I have had the same issues! :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. The quilt (and cat) are beautiful. Good luck with the hand quilting!

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a beautiful quilt! All those colors just dance and play so well together! Thanks for mentioning the dark batting use--I don't hand quilt, but have had occasion even when machine quilting to see little white beards. Looking forward to seeing the quilting design you have in mind! I'm stopping by through the WIP Wednesday linky party. Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  19. This quilt looks great! Have fun quilting it.

    ReplyDelete
  20. What beautiful colours, look forward to seeing how you quilt it

    ukcitycrafter@live.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  21. So Pretty, and happy! Quilting this during the winter months will brighten each day for you.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Stunning! So beautiful with the brights against the dark background!

    ReplyDelete