Sunday, May 23, 2010

The Butterfly Enclosure Quilt is Finished.

Finally " The Butterfly Enclosure, " quilt top is finished. Although it has been raining, in desperation to get a photo of the whole thing, I dried the clothesline wire and pegged the quilt up there.( it is a large single bed size )
Now I have a few decisions to make. Do I want to quilt it myself, ( by hand or by machine ) or shall I have it professionally done? Thinking; thinking.
The journey making this quilt has taught me quite a few things worth remembering.

* Sometimes just using up scraps or fabrics and cotton in my cupboard may not be the best solution.


*Don't buy pictorial or semi pictorial fabrics in charm packs or small sizes just cause you think they look nice.  ( Right from thre start with the squares used in the centres of the big styalised butterflies these fabrics did not play nicely together - they are still the part I don't like! - I should have cut them up! ) ( This was the 3rd time I tried to use them up. )


* Always put stabilizer under any single layer of fabric where you are trying to use a fancy stitch on the machine.


     * The adage measure twice ( or more  ) and cut once....or measure twice and sew once , is true.


        *        If you don't like how it is sitting now it won't get better - fix it straight away.

* I have a natural sense of colour, so if I don't really like certain colours together don't put them together - I'll wish I hadn't.

Thank goodness I'm a finisher or this could have lurked in the cupboard as a UFO forever more.( do you get the idea I am very pleased to say the word finished? )
***********
 Maybe that last one, has helped me decide about the quilting.
 

8 comments:

Jennifer said...

Ali, that has turned out very well....even if you aren't thrilled about some of the fabrics, in the end they all talk to each other.

julieQ said...

I like it very much. Thank you for sharing your quilting lessons.

Laurie said...

Ali, it is looking good from here, If you really don't like it may be you could donate it to the Charity Quilts I am sure your group make.

Every quilt is a learning curve even to the experts so treat it as thus..

Tracey Petersen said...

"just cause you think they look nice" is the very best reason to buy fabrics!

Andrea said...

Good on you for perservering. In my view it definitely paid odd as it is a very pretty quilt. Well done Ali xx

Ali Honey said...

I didn't explain that too well......I really agree Tracey...but not in a restrictive little bundle ( 40 x 4.5 inch squares )that is not enough to make anything of size with.

I have fabrics that called out to me in shops- "Take me home, you love me, " in my small stash. I still love them and hate to cut them. Colour wise my most pleasing quilts I have made are those where I have had the idea THEN sourced the fabrics I want to use.

Thanks you others who have left encouraging comments - I know it's not that bad...it just doesn't make my heart sing. Now if I had just made a large version of the centre panel I know I would be happy. ( another time; another quilt! )

Meggie said...

Ali, I know just what you mean. I have several tops which are not completed as quilts, just because the don't 'make my heart sing'. I feel as if I cant give them to anyone else, if I dont love them!
BTW I do like the Butterflies!

molly said...

Looks good to me! And "finished!"has a lovely ring to it!