A Different QAYG

As quick as the Quilt as you go is when you piece the back,  I didn't want to do any hand sewing on this one which would slow me down as I had a strict deadline, so I decided to do this one with the batting sectioned but not the top or backing.  So I made the back and got ready to quilt.  Here is the quilt back laid out and lightly stretched ( I do this by pinning the back to the carpet: first top, then bottom, then left side, then right side).  Then I laid the first piece of batting over the center diagonal section.

Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the next step, but I laid the central panel of the quilt on top and pinned it in place, and roll up the sides, then quilted it staying 1/2" away from the seam line.  This way there was very little in the throat of the machine.  Oh, yes - I made the batting sections a little bigger to facilitate the piecing of the batting later.  I really puzzled over how to quilt this, and then a light bulb went off.  Since this was a quilt for an Old Testament Studies professor, I quilted flames in the center reminiscent of the burning bush in Exodus and did a meandering pattern in the siggie blocks as did the Chosen People those 40 years in the desert. For the next section, I placed the next part of the top right sides together on the middle section  and pinned them and sewed this seam with the unsandwiched backing rolled to my right.  If you have this well pinned, use the walking foot, there won't be any puckering. 

Then I overlapped the next batting at the seam and pin.  Once this is done, I take it to my cutting table and pull the backing under the triangled top so that all I see is the batting on the left.  You don't want it in the way  or get cut by accident in the next step.

Take your rotary cutter and over the two overlapped batting near seam cut the batting with a wavy cut line. When you pull them apart the wavy cut will look like this:

Take these two pieces to your ironing boards, bring the back out again and match up the two battings and the separation will mostly disappear.  Here I have them slightly separated. 

Once you have it matched, cut long strips of 1-1 1/2"  fusible interfacing and place it over the two edges.  Iron the interfacing in place.

Your batting is now continuous on this side.  Bring the top part over the batting and pin baste.  Roll up the quilt and start quilting  with the small roll right of the needle.  I quilted the whole side but not the border.  Those I did at the end with a loop pattern. Once that was done, repeated the process for the other side.  I then quilted the borders, and bound it.  Here's the finished 52" square quilt in case you missed it on the previous post.

This is my favorite QAYG method so far.  I will definitely do one like this again since it's completely by machine.

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Design Wall Monday 5/9/11 -Siggie Done

Baby Alan has been very cooperative and wanted two long naps during the day, so I've made a lot of progress on the signature quilt due Saturday, May 14th.  I just have to finish the binding, bury the threads, and it is done.  I called it "God calls and His people hear in the books of Old". 

Why such an odd title?  This quilt is a thank you gift from the 60 students to our professor for an extension class entitled:  Introduction to the Old Testament.  It has been an excellent, excellent class.  We were very fortunate to have one of the nation's acknowledged eminent scholars of the Old Testament teach the class, Daniel Smith-Christopher (he has a wiki page!).  He has taught at LMU for 21 years.

I designed the quilt on EQ using the Jacob's Ladder block and a Roman Stripe block.  I needed lots of places for my fellow students to sign their names and their favorite Old Testament book.  The writing in the middle is Hebrew for Yahweh.  I quilted it in sections - a modified QAYG method that I will talk about in another post and will probably do again.  It's 51" square.  Do you think he'll like it?

Design Wall Monday 3/21/11

Making progress on the siggie quilt. Here have the final layout after placing the units to distribute the colors and siggies as much right side up as can.  This will measure about 52 inches once the border is added. Designed on EQ4 as to placement.  The center will be an applique block.  I have to blow up the pattern before I can start on it.

Yep, I'll have to come up with a setting triangle.  I've decided to use Jacob's Ladder block elements to set them.
Go on over to Patchwork Times  and see what others have on their design wall at Judy's blog.  Enjoy.