Monday 8 March 2010

Yoda of the quilting world

Last Friday night I designated the long weekend to making some serious headway into finishing my daughter's quilt that I started well over two years ago. The top has been pieced for such a long time but the major task of quilting the layers together has had me stumped.

Three days later I find that I have almost finished the main part of the quilting work. But having strayed from the original pattern and creating my own design by stitching in the ditch (stitching along where the pieces meet), I find myself wondering 'How do I know when I've quilted it enough?'.

The answer surely lies within google I pondered. So I researched... how heavily to quilt a quilt, how much to quilt a quilt, how to quilt, best Oscars frocks.... the search terms got more and more vague. I found nothing. Feeling like I'd hit a quilt-covered brick wall, I walked away from the computer back to the sewing machine. And then it came to me.

It was almost like Yoda of the quilting world was speaking to me. He told me that I will know. I will know when it's done. Aside from considering I have been having too many late nights and too much caffeine, I accepted this sage wisdom wholeheartedly and plowed on. I will know when the quilting part of my quilt is done.

To sum up this long tale..... trust. Trust yourself and not the internet to tell you what to do with a craft project. Trust your creative side that it will know and guide you on your path. Don't let the google side win.
Photobucket

3 comments:

Amy Badskirt said...

yoda works. should he fail you on the day, remember that "how much" really depends on the type of batting that you use. most modern battings can take 5-8" apart between the quilting lines, but it's always best to check on the manufacturer's site.

if you've bought it at spotlight, you can always call them and ask what the manufactuer recommends. I do it all the time if I forget to take a copy with me.

Jodie said...

hmm, I guess it depends on how floofy you want it !
Yoda will guide you...

Marina said...

I love the look of the quilt. I totally agree about trusting your instinct and not being a slave to Google!