Finishing the baby quilt -- sweet scalloped scraps!




The sweet baby quilt - it is finally nice enough outdoors for a photo!

 
   The baby quilt with the scalloped edges is done.  After completeing the top, and putting together a back, it was time to pin the  scrap baby quilt.  This is my least favorite part of quiltmaking - as you can see, my space is a bit cramped.   I only use this space for small quilts.  When I have to pin a larger quilt, I move the table up to a more spacious spot.

Luckily, the cutting table is on wheels, so I  can roll it around to squeeze by the washer and dryer. 





The top laid out, ready to pin before quilting.

 

     Once pinned, I decided on loopy free-motion quilting in the center panel, which I find an easy stitch to do.  I like to use Warm and Natural batting, and prewash my fabrics, so when the quilt is done and washed and dried, there is a wonderful texture to the finished quilt, and the quilting mistakes are not readily visible! 



A close up of the loopy quilting before washing.  

     I also tried two new techniques on this quilt.  First, a scalloped edge.  Using instructions in a recent Fons & Porter article, I made a template for the scalloped edges.  I used the kraft paper from the batting.  Next time, I'll make more defined scallops. These turned out a little too subtle for my taste.



The kraft paper template for the scalloped edge.  I pressed the paper before I traced it onto the quilt.
 

     I am fascinated by Hawaiian quilts, but have never tried one, so I decided to try echo quilting the border.  This turned out to be very difficult for me -- I was unable to stitch in a straight line, or keep my "echos" a consistent distance apart. 



The pretty awful echo quilting! 



    Despite these flaws, the final quilt looks pretty adorable.  I wish I had a bit more of the "scallop" on the edge, but overall,  I am very happy with how this turned out.

A close up of the final quilting after washing.  The curvy lines don't look as bad as I feared.




The full front of the quilt.

 

The back of the quilt.

    In the end, this turned out to be a sweet little quilt.

    What's next?    I have several projects underway.  I am getting those flying geese sewn together, and will be getting some large quilt tops ready for quilting.  (No echo quilting!) 

      I also resurrected the center panel I made years ago (I think in 2007) from a Jane Sassaman Free Spirit fabric line, using a drunkard's path template and trying my hand at curved piecing.    Once I put the blocks with the sashing, it languished.  Today I got it out, and pressed it, and need to decide whether to redo some seams to make it lay a bit flatter, and then, what to do for a border.   A narrow pink, and then a wide black border? A soft pink? A bright pink?   A narrow black border with a wide pink?  No border?  I have quite a bit to mull over before this one is done.  I'll keep you posted.

The partly completed quilt top.

 

A closer look at the fabric

 


Take care,
Gretchen