Pink and Sweet - Details

Other than the class project all-in-one-step serged baby quilt [see Archive: Reversible Baby Quilt - Details] I have not made a quilt of any sort in many years. Back then, I helped with some quilts, made a baby comforter for my girls (not pieced) and pieced squares for a dolly quilt or two, so I'm really starting from scratch.

I decided to use as a solid the remains of an old pink sheet which have been haunting me for years. Then make alternate squares of stuff from my stash and new fabrics. I am not going to give the details, because following this I made another one of the same design. I am going to provide details in that posting so as not to be repetitious.

A couple close-ups of the fabrics I used

Most squares came together really well

A few didn't

Finished back of quilt top

Quilt top, ready for assembling with batting and backing (OH, my aching knees!)

Close-up of quilting stitch. I learned a lot about how to keep it straight that I applied to the next quilt, which came out really well. I also learned not to use the "default" setting--the stitches should have been much "longer". (impossible to tear out, and TRUST ME, I DID tear a bunch out! I did mention this was a 'learning process", right?)

Top, batting, and backing all quilted together. What a difference the stitching made! Previously the solid pink was pretty blah. It really made it all "come alive"!

Now all it's ready for the binding around the edges. (see post above)

I got the directions I misunderstood on the baby quilt now and it works quite well! I don't know if it works as well for wider bindings, but 2 cm seems to work pretty well.

My problem was that I did NOT stop sewing 1/4-inch BEFORE the seam allowance for the next size. When you do that, it works quite well.

Also, next time I will use the normal method of sewing together the strips by placing two at a 90 degree angle and sewing diagonally across to form a continuous strip. I don't like the thickness and/or lumpiness of using the method described in the baby quilt posting. One may have to use that for the last connection (where the strip joins itself), but I'm going to see if I can avoid even that one.