Lessons Learned and Final Thoughts

Yep, a little breeze, but it was a bit wavy on its own too. 35" x 53"

I finished this on Tuesday? Wednesday? Blursday? Regardless, I handed it over Wednesday afternoon so it could get to Houston and be entered in the Silent Auction being held during the Competition Weekend for Region 10 of Sweet Adelines. I had no desire to be there in person, but I was there in fabric.

It nearly never left my house. Not because I loved it too much to let it go, but because I was so very disappointed in the final product.

The fabric foundation ended up adding enough bulk to make this top stiff and unwieldy.

Wraith didn't care.

 

As I quilted it I kept thinking a moving pad had more drape than this thing did! I quilted straight lines through the yellow using a variegated yellow Gutermann sewing thread, and spermies in the diamonds (as I had done on a previous top). I used King Tut "Joseph's Coat" in the bobbin, which has a nice gradation of clear rainbow colors.

I learned that the black thread I was using was hopeless on the Viking. Tweaking tension top or bottom made no difference to the outcome--I never could get a perfect balance of threads.

The upper spermies in the photo above were quilted with basic cotton sewing thread (white) on top. The straight lines used the Gutermann thread mentioned above. The lower spermies were quilted with the cone of Signature black, problems with which I've had before. Perhaps this will work as a bobbin thread (I hope, seeing as I've loaded up a whole bunch of bobbins with it), but I've made sure I'll never use it as a top thread on my Viking again:

 

The label turned out nice.

Binding this was a whole 'nother nightmare, thanks again to that black thread! When I have to hand sew with any thread, I pay close attention to which end I knot when I first use it. It makes a difference. If you've knotted the correct end for the thread's twist, it'll pull through the fabric smooth as you'd wish. If you've knotted the wrong end, it'll twist and snarl and knot up on itself with every stitch. I mark every spool I've used to bind or applique:

To double back to a previous topic, the thread on the right is like the white thread I used to quilt the white areas. Basic cotton sewing thread.

It turns out, there is no correct end to knot with that Signature cone! Maybe I got a faulty lot, but it snarled and tangled with each stitch, and usually shredded by the time I had used 9-10" of it (I would start with only 18"-20"). So, one more note on this cone, and this product will be put behind me:

Never have I been so anxious to put in the final stitch and throw a quilt into the washer! I always wash in hot water with regular (but unscented) detergent, and dry in our home dryer on the highest setting. That way I can assure any recipient that it takes no special care. It came out nice and crinkly,

but inappreciably cuddlier.

Honestly, the only reason I kept working on this was sheer stubbornness, and the only reason I gave it away was the thought that maybe there's a Sweet Adeline who is using a moving blanket somewhere (on a piano bench, for example) and might like to replace it with something prettier! A final shot (taken by a friend at the event) and we can say adieu to my experiment in fabric foundation piecing.

I would never have placed the value or the starting bid that high, but that wasn't my job. I just makes 'em.