I didn’t make any positive progress on my pink and purple Flying Geese quilt at all this week. But, if mistakes are educational, then I have learned a lot! 
First, I thought I had the perfect backing for the quilt — a beautiful shade of pink in 100% cotton. Got it all basted and started the machine quilting. However, it’s a bed sheet, and now I know why quilting on bed sheets is not such a good idea — the threads are so close together, it’s difficult to quilt through. Even with a small needle (10 or 11), it still leaves a big hole in the fabric.
I was so unhappy with the results that I unpicked two hours’ worth of free motion quilting and undid the basting.
Then I found another length of regular quilting fabric in my stash that was a good match for the colours, but I didn’t have enough. There were two others that I thought would make a good pieced backing using the instructions Mary Johnson wrote for HeartStrings, but I didn’t have enough of those, either. Aaarrrggghhh!
Finally the light dawned on me to cut the quilting fabrics into 10.5 inch squares and piece them together patchwork fashion to make a backing by one of the methods used by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville. That will give a good variety of prints and use up even more stash. I’ll probably start that tomorrow.
Haven’t finished any other projects to count in my totals this week, but I did start working on a UFO for Judy’s February Quiltathon and hope to finish that today.
Totals for Week 7 are:
- Bought this week: 0
- Bought year-to-date: 9.75 yards
- Used this week: 0
- Used year-to-date: 10.75
- Used (net): 1 yard
To see how others are doing in their Stashbusting this week, please visit Judy Laquidara’s blog, Patchwork Times.
Happy Quilting!
Oh dear, dear, dear….feeling frustrated right along with you. I’ve been in that exact position before too! And the 10.5″ square solution is perfect!!
Hope you get LOADS done today during this Quiltathon weekend. I know I hope to :0)
It can be so frustrating when the creative juices are going “full speed ahead” and the fabric or the machines just won’t cooperate.
But, as you’ve shown, necessity is the mother of invention & you were able to come up with a great solution.
I haven’t gotten any sewing done for the Quiltathon. . .I’m hoping to get some done today & tomorrow (since I’m off from work). I have a quilt that should have been completed a month ago that I just have to get done.
Have a wonderful day.
Just the thought of basting a quilt, starting to quilt it, and then having to unsew the stitches for two hours is enough to give me a giant size headache. I’m glad to hear you’ve found a solution that also uses of lots of fabric in your stash.
I’m really stuck on my Jambalaya quilt for the Too Good to Cut Challenge. I would appreciate it if you would check my blog and let me know what you think I should do about the blocks.
sorry to hear you hit a road block while trying to finish it,….been there done that too, But it does sound like you have solved it with a perfect solution and rather quickly too, nice going.
Jane
I make at least half of my backings using the 10 1/2 squares. A great use for all those fabrics left from other projects or fabric you just don’t love anymore.
Kathie L in MD
I thought I was the only one that did that kind of thing- it makes me feel soooo much better to hear that others have the same troubles I do. I hit so many roadblocks some time that it makes me want to give up- in fact i have a quilt for DH that I can’t wait to finish- I am so tired of working on it and I have messed up so many times. I just want to put it away but he reminds me that it isn’t finished yet so I keep plodding along- not much more to go though!!
I have pieced lots of backings and love the reversible nature of the quilt when it is done. Great stash usage this week.
That’s alot of un-sewing…nuts! This week will be better!
how frustrating it would be to have to unpick it. sigh
Sounds like a creative solution to the backing. Looking forward to seeing it when you are finished!
hey at least you are using stash! how did that sheet get mixed in??
Heavens, I don’t bother to cut the various backing fabrics into squares. I just sew chunks to chunks (faster that way) and be done with it. I figure the back is a back. Don’t sweat it. Good luck on your finishing that quilt. Sorry you had to do so much frogging.
I hate having to pick out quilting stitches but I don’t use sheets for backings for just that reason.
I love a pieced squares backing but it’s too much work to use too often, there are just too many tops here that need backing for me to spend that much time.
Sorry the sheet gave you problems. The weave is so tight and hard it makes it difficult for the needle to pierce and quilt evenly. I have quilted a few, but I have washed those several times and softened them with fabric softener. Still not much fun.
I too have been piecing my backings this week. We must all be on the same wavelength!