quilt as you go

A little quilt progress update today. I apologize in advance for the less than awesome pictures. I was past my best photography-light window of the day. I usually like to photograph either in the morning between 10 and 11 am, or in the afternoon nap-time window of 1:30-3:00 pm. But it wasn't till 5:00 pm today that I thought to take some pictures.

Here is the quilt so far. I'm using this quilt-as-you-go method called Lap Quilting that I read about in a book I bought at a second hand store quite a while back. Its called "Lap Quilting with Georgia Bonesteel". I believe I've complained vociferously enough on this blog about how much I'm not a fan of machine quilting large pieces of work to render further complaints unnecessary. And even though this is only a twin quilt, I am rawther pregnant these days, which compromises both my back muscles and my core muscles, which any non-quilter reading this would be surprised to know are both very actively involved in the machine quilting process. So especially after my trials and tribulations with the last monster quilt that I machine quilted, I had big plans to lap quilt this one. Lap quilting is basically making many small manageable sized quilts chunks that you can quilt by hand in your lap (preferably while watching tv and drinking herbal chai) and then eventually you sew them all together into your finished quilt.

You can see the quilting I've done around each motif.

Its all hand done, and I'm quite enjoying the process. You make a little mini quilt sandwich with each individual block (block, batting, backing) and then you hand quilt that, though you have to keep about an inch away from the edges. And then, you sew the front and middle layers of the block together by machine and you hand sew the backing layer together with and invisible slip stitch. I'm really enjoying the feeling of gradual accomplishment with this method, as the whole thing starts to come together. I have two rows completed, and am very close to being done the third. There are 7 rows altogether (I think. I'd have to go check my diagram to be sure, and its in the other room and I'm too tired/lazy/still sick to run out there).

But you can see what was bothering me there in the bottom right hand corner.

Do you see? Do you see that? F@*#ing dye lot discrepancy! See how the triangle insets around the lime green crab motif are darker than the other stuff. ARGH. But to be honest, it really is only noticeable in full sunlight and when I take a picture with flash. So I should just avoid those two circumstances and try to ignore it.

I'm quite happy with the way the back is turning out. This quilt as you go method allows you to do some patchwork on the back too, which I'm really enjoying the look of. I hope it also adds to the use longevity of the quilt, as one day when the Little Dude is too grown-up to want to display his baby clothes on his bed, he'll be able to flip it over and just have a nice, modern looking checked pattern. If he is still willing to have the quilt that his mother made for him on his bed at all at that point. If not, it will just have to become a living room couch quilt or something. We'll find a way to use it.