{"id":2652,"date":"2017-10-10T19:35:18","date_gmt":"2017-10-10T19:35:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.cancerhopenetwork.org\/?p=2652"},"modified":"2023-11-16T11:38:11","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T16:38:11","slug":"quilting-hope-episode-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cancerhopenetwork.org\/blog\/quilting-hope-episode-two\/","title":{"rendered":"Quilting Hope – Episode Two","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome back!!!\u00a0 The Gala <\/a>is just around the corner (Saturday, November 4), and we have a quilt to finish!!!
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\nJust wanted everyone to say hello to my trusted sewing machine, my quilt rings, and the army of pink\/white thread having a \u201cboard meeting\u201d to regroup.<\/p>\n

First thing\u2019s first:\u00a0 what does the \u201cquilting\u201d process<\/u> mean?\u00a0 It means this:
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\nAs I explained in my last post<\/a>, there are three layers of a quilt:\u00a0 the top (with your beautiful design), the batting (center) and the \u201cbacksheet\u201d (bottom) (remember in my last post I referred to a quilt as a \u201csandwich\u201d).\u00a0 Something needs to secure all three of those layers together \u2013 you can\u2019t just sew it all around the diameter and hope for the best.\u00a0 The fabric\/layers would inevitably bunch up, get crooked, shift around, etc.<\/p>\n

In order to secure the layers, you \u201cquilt\u201d them \u2013 which means sewing the three layers together over the entire surface area of the project.\u00a0 This can be done any way you like.\u00a0 You can do straight lines (which is currently my preference), or you can do a free form design\/pattern.\u00a0 In other words:\u00a0 you get to be creative TWICE when making a quilt \u2013 first when you design the top layer with all the fabrics, and second when you choose the design\/thread colors to \u201cquilt\u201d your layers together.<\/p>\n

Quilting can be done by hand (a method chosen by very brave, talented, and patient people) or via a special \u201cquilting foot\u201d that attaches to your machine.\u00a0 For my straight-lined quilt, I just use the regular foot that came with the machine (only because the fabric\/batting\/backing are thin enough to allow for this.\u00a0 You just want to be careful that you don\u2019t damage your machine by shoving too much under a \u201cfoot\u201d that cannot accommodate the bulk \u2013 I learned this the hard way when I made my first quilt out of flannel.<\/p>\n

As you will see on the left hand side of the photo above (next to the pink ribbon), there are three evenly spaced straight pink seamlines.\u00a0 Those are the \u201cquilting\u201d lines that I am using over the surface area to secure my three layers together.\u00a0 Here\u2019s a better view of a fully \u201cquilted\u201d square:
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\nAnd so on and so forth.\u00a0 Just a couple tips I\u2019ve learned after several quilts:<\/p>\n