Packing Break

We have been super busy packing up to move.  I decided I needed a little break and pulled out this large whole cloth quilt to finish up.  It is two six yard pieces with one seam down the middle.  I estimate it took me about 7-8 hours to finish.

I used a polyester batting because it was inexpensive and I wanted to see how it would quilt.  I used Comfort Loft by Mountain Mist from JoAnns.  A lot of my FMQ students ask about polyester battings, and I didn't have much recent experience with them.  So I thought a simple picnic quilt would be the perfect project to try it on.

I spray basted the quilt, but sprayed both the fabric and the batting.  (This tip came from Svetlana of Sotak Handmade.) It held together very well through the quilting process, and I would do the same thing the next time I use a polyester batting.  However, I still won't use a polyester batting very often.  I don't like how they beard.  I also don't like how the thickness/loft wasn't consistent throughout the quilt.  It almost seemed to shift a little and bunch up in places even with the spray basting.  

After four hours of quilting, I stitched the binding down by machine.  I cut the binding out three inches wide, because I like a wider binding when I have a thicker quilt.

The binding is black which matches the red side of the quilt.  The background on the apple side is actually navy blue.  It was nice to just use what I had to go with this fabric my mother gave me.

I think it will make a great picnic quilt replacing one I made back in 1996 which was tied.  The sunflower quilt has been used, abused, and loved.  I hope someday this quilt will also be faded and filled with memories.

I quilted this quilt with a 50 weight red Aurifil thread in a large stipple.  I am excited that it will not have the ties on either side.  It makes the quilt nice and reversible, but the red is definitely my favorite side.

I was pleased with how well I was able to match the seam.

Can you see the seam?  Hint:  It is almost in the center of the picture.

I didn't worry about matching the seam on the apple side, because I wanted to make the quilt as large as possible.  The apple fabric wasn't as wide as the red.  The print is so busy that it doesn't really matter to me.

And because the print was so busy, I was able to empty four partial bobbins using four different shades of red.  :)

I call this quilt my apple quilt, but I realized that there are also strawberries and cherries.

Quilt Stats #170
Name:  Apple Quilt
Pattern:  Whole Cloth
Fabric:  Apple and red fabric from my mom
Binding: Kona Black
Amount Used: 12.5 yards
Batting: Polyester Comfort Loft
Size:  About 80 x 102 inches
Date Finished: December 2015
What I learned:

• I can quilt with polyester batting, but it is much easier on my big machine because it adds so much bulk.
• I can spray baste the polyester batting if  I spray both the batting and the fabric.  

This is most likely my last quilted project finished in my current house.  Our house is under contract and we will be moving in with my parents soon until our new house is finished.

XX,
Jasmine

P.S.  I will be linking up with some of the fun parties on my sidebar.  Check them out for some awesome quilty inspiration.