This event affected my crafty to-do list. I needed to feel competent at something, so instead of starting a new project, I opted to finish up some stragglers from 2017. I needed the thrill of a finish, friends! I pieced a quilt top and two backs for my guild, and passed those projects to a guildmate for quilting. Then I moved on to this baby quilt, which I had started back in October ...
There is something about me and small projects, whether they’re quilts or pouches or baskets: I’m notorious for making more than 1 (and up to 15!). This simple baby quilt is no exception. It’s the foil to this finish. Both use the Little Man pattern from Simplify by Camille Roskelley.
The beauty of this project was that the inspiration for the palette came from that old Alexander Henry 2D Zoo print. I only had scraps of that fabric left, which was just fine because the pattern didn’t call for any more than that. Everything else came from my stash, including the Yale Blue Free Spirit solid featured on the back. It was one of those not-so-smart fabric purchases—both considering the color and the amount of yardage I bought—from my early days of quilting. I was happy to use it up in this baby quilt.
A triumph with this project and its lookalike is that I made franken batting for the first time! I cut clean, straight edges off of batting scraps, abutted edges, and sewed them with a zigzag stitch. Those scraps were all at least 12 inches wide, they were the same brand and type of batting, and they were all prewashed (because I’m the only person in the world who prewashes her batting!). I figured if I quilted densely enough—the grid here is quilted every 2 inches—the franken batting wouldn’t affect the integrity of the final product. It takes some time to piece batting scraps together, but it feels good to put them to good use.
Have you cobbled your batting scraps together like that? Any words of warning on that front? And to those of you who don’t quilt on a domestic: Would you ever use franken batting on your longarm?
Linking up to Finish It Up Friday and Let’s Bee Social ...
The pearl bracelets border is genius! Frankenbatting is great but can be a pain to put together. I'd also love to hear if longarmers use it!
ReplyDeleteI do frankenbatting too, but I did not know that name for it. I use the iron on tape to put my pieces together. Have never had a problem with it.
ReplyDeleteGood to have your seal of approval on another approach. Thanks!
DeleteLovely quilt!And a finish does feel so good! :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat finish! I do piece my battings together to reuse. I just stitch with a large zigzag and they seem to hold up just fine.
ReplyDeleteCute colors! I use pieced battings, but use a domestic machine for quilting. I use really small pieces in my pouch making since I quilt those pieces with 1/4"-1" separation.
ReplyDeleteI use frankenbatting mostly for wall hangings and such....but I have a friend who uses it all the time in her quilts. She has a longarm and says she never minds it. She even uses different kinds all together. She quilts pretty densely though.
ReplyDeleteYes, I use Frankenbatting and what a perfect word! Def an "add" to the Quilter's Dictionary.
ReplyDeleteSuch a modern, clean look to your piecing.
Two thumbs up!
Great colors on this one. I use batting scraps for smaller projects, it works well with a zigzag stitch. I'm sure all the scrap usage with the fabric and batting gives a great sense of satisfaction!
ReplyDeleteI use frankenbatting all the time, but usually larger scraps. The smaller pieces usually end up in a basket for the cats to sleep in. :) Never had a problem with it on my domestic. Haven't tried it on my long arm yet.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear about the car damage. Quilting therapy sounds like a good choice for finding some inner calm. I have used frankenbatting for quilts before, but I don't think I have used it when I have longarmed a quilt. I'll have to ponder that a bit more!
ReplyDeleteI too prewash batting, occasionally, depending on the intended final use of the quilt.
ReplyDeleteI don't see why you wouldn't be able to use a frakenbatt on a long arm as the batting isn't usually under much tension before it it quilted.
And hurray for finishes! Boo about the car¡ (Upside down exclamation mark is for bad things).
Congrats! on your newly completed quilt. More than that, thank you for showing me what I can do with my supply of that animal print!!
ReplyDeleteI don't prewash my batting, but I do stitch pieces together. I don't worry about the edges, just use serpentine stitch and stitch down both edges to the other piece. Works grwat, and yes I've used it on the longarm.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the car. It can only get better. I have fraken batting, but I don't bother sewing them together -- I'm too lazy. I've never had a problem.
ReplyDeleteAt least it was your sisters car! She most likely was more understanding than a stranger! I have pieced together batting. Usually for small quilts or other projects. Never ever had any issues doing that. Besides, I usually quilt the snot out of them and the batting isn't going anywhere!
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