Since this is my year to pull my almost finished wall hangings out of their designated places of waiting, I thought I had better take a look at this one and figure out why I stopped working on it in the first place.
I expected to see all kinds of stitching that needed to be removed.
![IMG_1785[1]](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-2fhyN6DX_kg/UR2TCdzYojI/AAAAAAAACS4/edBmpSFm5Ss/s1600-h/IMG_1785%25255B1%25255D%25255B14%25255D.jpg "IMG_1785[1]")
This is all I found: A pinwheel block that had been pulled off kilter while I was top stitching it. See, I even marked it neatly with a safety pin. That’s my reminder to myself that something is in need of correction. Many times when I am debating whether I have actually made a mistake, I just attach a safety pin and just keep on sewing. Most times when I go back to look at it a few days later, the stitching in question is just fine. Just the perfectionist in me rearing its intolerant head.
![IMG_1789[1]](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-1kAT9egf1nM/UR2TES37w1I/AAAAAAAACTI/j7gDNvViJ6E/s1600-h/IMG_1789%25255B1%25255D%25255B4%25255D.jpg "IMG_1789[1]")
Correcting that little bit of stitching was not the only thing that was rubbing me the wrong way. I had put two battings in this quilt—a very thin Hobbs cotton batting for stability on the bottom and a thin layer of polyester for a puffy effect on the top. An added benefit of the cotton batting on the bottom is that it eliminates the obnoxious tendency that some polyester battings have to roll beneath the walking foot and make ugly tucks on the back of the quilt.
Nevertheless, two battings can be a pain to get through. I was feeling so sorry for myself that I just hung the quilt up on a wall rack in the back bedroom and ignored it for a couple…..er, YEARS. I had decided that I was the only goofball on earth who used two sheets of batting on one quilt. Should I take the whole thing apart and start over?
![IMG_1790[1]](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Mf9eABkpt-o/UR2TGQwJVRI/AAAAAAAACTY/wWIDGuQgNNg/s1600-h/IMG_1790%25255B1%25255D%25255B9%25255D.jpg "IMG_1790[1]")
Better think a long time about that.
Tuesday evening at my dinner with the Sewful Sisters, Corey answered my question without even knowing it. One of the quilts she brought along to share had two battings: One of cotton for stability, and additional wool batting on top of that to lend a sculptured effect to her lovely quilting.
Wow, I felt better. I took my quilt off its rack, and everything looked so much better. I can do this.
Thanks, Corey.
I have the habit of laying something aside whenever I make what I perceive as a mistake, too. For the life of me, though, I can't see one in your stitching. You ARE a perfectionist!
ReplyDeleteLove the design.
Toni, the top stitching does look straight, but in the process I pulled the purple triangle on the right too far down. The seam now dips between the purple and red triangle. When the quilt is laid flat, it buckles slightly. Not a big deal to take and and do over. I just needed a mental break from the quilt, I guess. It was a bear getting all those colors in the right place! Another on of my goofy patterns.
DeleteA lot of people use 2 batts in a lot of quilts. cindy Needham does and I know Debbie Van Fossen's done it a couple times too. I have done it on a small wall hanging once with thin cotton batt and a half layer of hobbs wool.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Barb. As of late, I have just been using a sheet of Pellon Decor Bond and a sheet of thin batting if it is just a wall hanging. I don't like sewing through a lot of fluff.
ReplyDelete