Scrap Quilt gets washed & ready!

As you may have noticed in the last post, minimal quilting doesn't do much for the looks of a quilt, but it does hold the layers together.
I tried to get away with minimal quilting on this quilt, but I just couldn't let it be!

The pattern is Jewel Box or Buckeye Beauty

There is red quilting in the red parts, and green on the green, for the most part.
But there was just a bit too much of the background with no stitching...so I ran long diagonal lines through those places. All the quilting is a serpentine stitch, with a nice curve.
To keep the colors matching, I skipped over the red and green pieces. That's where I was happy my machine has a lock-stitch button and another for thread cutting! That does leave a thread on the top to cut, and two little ones on the back at the end of the stitching line.
Here's my favorite thread snipper:

Double curve scissors

This pair is about 4" long, and sharp as can be! That curved blade gets right down at the fabric to cut the thread. It pays to be careful to avoid cutting the quilt! (you know how I know!)

Of course you want to see the back. And I'm telling you, this is a great back! It "matches" the top by theme (Christmas) and it doesn't show anything.

"Chilly" by Timeless Treasures

Those penguins have been celebrating finally getting out of my stash!
They are so much fun, this is practically a two-sided quilt. Which reminds me of an idea:
Instead of adding to the backing width by putting a strip down the center or a double width of fabric, add extra around one width and it will look like a border. That does make an easy two-sided quilt.
Well, if you planning ahead it does.
I'm sure I got this on sale, intending it for a back, so I had double length. Can you spot the seam?

Waldo was not able to attend this party

After the extra quilting, it was right to the washer and dryer for this old friend. I have had the top for a looooong time, and you have probably seen it at one of my scrap quilt lectures. It demonstrates two things:
1) It has all the same size prints, which makes it "too busy".... a good scrap quilt needs a variety of prints.
2) Holiday quilts can get away with excessive busy-ness!
3) A simple traditional pattern is a good scrappy choice.
OK, that was 3 things. You know I am both talkative and innumerate (can't do numbers).

What happened in the wash & dry???

I cannot count high enough to say how many fabrics are in this quilt.

It has a lovely crinkly texture, and no dye bleed from the un-washed dark green border! (thank-you, Color Catchers!)If you cannot see the texture in this picture, it's because that is very hard to capture in a photo. Quilting is hard to see on most quilt pics, which is why a lot of time OR a professional photographer is a good idea if you need an important picture made.
Fun "homework": Next time you look at a quilt magazine, see if you notice which pics show quilting, which do not...and which are actually un-quilted tops!

Wash that quilt...or not?

After all the work we put into a quilt, sometimes it's hard to think of it taking a trip through the washing machine...and maybe even the dryer!
Not all quilts need to be washed, but when I am planning to sell it, or I realize how much Shayla O'Puss "helped", I know it has to be cleaned. And when I sell a quilt that is meant to be used and loved (i.e. a utility quilt) that's especially important.
Cherry-cherry always washes her quilts, and she has a point: that's how they get the soft and crinkly texture most people love!
We're both working on finishing quilts to sell in the QuiltFest sale room, and this year they'll have a special additional tag that says the quilts have been pre-washed and give a few care suggestions.
It can be scary to wash a quilt, especially when you aren't positive about the condition of the fabrics: were they pre-washed? are they still  full of dye anyway? were they so cheap they are only held together by the excessive amount of sizing/starch?
Here is an example, my Homespun Christmas Quilt:

Disclaimer: only the side filler triangles are actually homespun!

This is the quilted but un-washed quilt. It is not heavily quilted, having just an X of stitching through each 6" block. The batt is an 80/20 cotton/poly.

Un-washed back

The backing fabric is something really stiff and cheap, beside being darker than this picture shows. So I had no idea what would happen when it gets washed.
I always wash with cold water and a minimal (if any) amount of detergent. For this one I also put in 2 sheets of dye catchers. After the wash, it went right into the dryer.
NOTE: this is NOT the way to clean a vintage quilt!!!
So how did it fare?

Very lazy quilting!

It does have a softer look! A judge would say "Needs more quilting" but it has enough to hold it together.

How about the back?

Very cheap backing fabric!

Also much nicer. The green did not run!

This would have a much nicer "crinkle" if it had more lines of quilting.

And guess what? I just may put some more in! Yes, you can add quilting when it looks like this, but you also have to be careful to ease the fabric where it has puffed up. And after it has a lot of texture, you shouldn't mess with it....unless you enjoy having lots of pleats stitched in!

If I do quilt more on this, the top will be fine, since I can control that. The back will probably get a few pleats....so, as usual, it's another decision to make!

With Turn In Day only a week away, I have to switch gears and get my entry ready. It seems no matter how "finished" you think that quilt is, it always needs something right before the show: sleeve, label, last few embellishments...and probably some cat hair removal!

Shayla is a dedicated "helper", which means she likes to sleep on any quilt she can get at.