I have been doing a Block of the Month quilt at my local quilt shop for several years now. I have posted about most of these quilts -- except for this one because I didn't like it much and never quilted it!
1. 2012 Japanese Sampler
2. 2013 Cowboy Sampler
3. 2014 Solid Sampler
4. 2015 Neutrals Sampler
5. 2016 Red and White Sampler
6. 2017 Cotton and Steel Sampler (We are on our last month!)
So the Cowboy Sampler has been a flimsy for a few of years now. I just don't love it. Despite the fact that I'm from a small town in Idaho, I am definitely not a cowboy (or a cowgirl. :)) You can't see the fabric well here, but they have cowboy boots, spures, horseshoes, etc.
The quilt shop offers quilt fabrics in two or three different color-ways -- that year I chose this cowboy color-way because it was made from Batiks (a type of hand-dyed fabric.) I had never sewn with Batiks and wanted to give it a try. The sashing and backing are just quilting cottons -- the backing is some from a halloween fabric line, which I got for 60% off after Halloween. The sashing is just a solid black quilting cotton.
It was fun to experiment with Batiks. I loved how flat they ironed out. The feel of the fabric was quite different from other quilting cottons. As I quilted, though, my stitches on the Batiks didn't look as nice as the ones on the sashing. I will have to see how it looks after I wash it.
As usual, I like like the Cowboy Quilt better now that it's been quilted. I still struggle with exactly what to do with it. Is it even donate-worthy? It is the size of a toddler quilt, but those colors are pretty dark for kid's quilt. I don't know, maybe a cute little boy with cowboy boots would appreciate it. In hindsight, I probably should have made the quilt larger for an older boy....someone who doesn't want something cute. ;)
It was kind of surprising to see how poorly pieced this quilt was. My 1/4 inch seam must be a lot more accurate these years later. Good to see I've made some progress. :)
This was on my list of goals for the quarter. Yay!
This is one of my finishes for Quarter 3 of the Finish-A-Long.
1. 2012 Japanese Sampler
2. 2013 Cowboy Sampler
3. 2014 Solid Sampler
4. 2015 Neutrals Sampler
5. 2016 Red and White Sampler
6. 2017 Cotton and Steel Sampler (We are on our last month!)
So the Cowboy Sampler has been a flimsy for a few of years now. I just don't love it. Despite the fact that I'm from a small town in Idaho, I am definitely not a cowboy (or a cowgirl. :)) You can't see the fabric well here, but they have cowboy boots, spures, horseshoes, etc.
It was fun to experiment with Batiks. I loved how flat they ironed out. The feel of the fabric was quite different from other quilting cottons. As I quilted, though, my stitches on the Batiks didn't look as nice as the ones on the sashing. I will have to see how it looks after I wash it.
As usual, I like like the Cowboy Quilt better now that it's been quilted. I still struggle with exactly what to do with it. Is it even donate-worthy? It is the size of a toddler quilt, but those colors are pretty dark for kid's quilt. I don't know, maybe a cute little boy with cowboy boots would appreciate it. In hindsight, I probably should have made the quilt larger for an older boy....someone who doesn't want something cute. ;)
It was kind of surprising to see how poorly pieced this quilt was. My 1/4 inch seam must be a lot more accurate these years later. Good to see I've made some progress. :)
This was on my list of goals for the quarter. Yay!
This is one of my finishes for Quarter 3 of the Finish-A-Long.
Hooray for a finish! I think it's lovely and hey you got to try some new-to-you fabric, right? :)
ReplyDeleteI find that because batiks are more tightly woven than regular quilting cotton, a microtex needle is the best choice because it's super sharp and pointy and it pierces the fabric nicely.
On behalf of the Finish A Long global hosts, thank you for linking up and sharing!
Good to know about the microtex needle. I will have to remember that because there are some nice batiks out there and I'm sure I'll use them again someday. Thanks for your support of the FAL!
DeleteNice job Carol! Maybe you should try wearing your cowboy boots next time you get cowboy fabric...you know, to help get you in the mood. You could play country music too. I like how the back looks too.
ReplyDelete