"There’s an awful temptation to just keep on researching. There comes a point where you just have to stop, and start writing. When I began, I thought that the way one should work was to do all the research and then write the book. In time I began to understand that it’s when you start writing that you really find out what you don’t know and need to know.”
I am oh so close to having this done. But in my usual fashion, I have been dithering over several things, one being how to attach that braid to the edge of the quilted section once it was centered over its mount. Worry worry, think think think, stare and try to envision, the equivalent of researching to death. And then today I knew it was fear (of it not lying perfectly along the edge and of the edge of the quilt stretching) and that I must lose the fear and dive in. What's the worse that could happen? It would be a disaster and I'd just take the stitching out and ponder a different solution.
A last minute decision as I sat down saved me from possible frustration and disaster I think. Better to stitch down the edge of the quilt before adding the decorative braid on top. That way I did not have to control two things at once. First pass tacked the quilt to the mount with invisible thread and a narrow zigzag stitch. Second pass used same thread but a wider zigzag over the braid which laid nicely along the edge with the help of the tip of my seam ripper to guide it. Slow slow slow stitching, one thing I love about my Viking - the control to take one stitch at a time.
But when I put it back up on the design wall, the braid did not read as dark as I had hoped, although it is a beautiful complement to colors in this quilt and a beautiful edge finish. Sometimes it doesn't take much to bring a little definition, so I tried something I've done many times, ran a line of straight stitch right next to the braid using a dark brown buttonhole weight silk thread. Perfect!
Now I am dithering about the outside edge of the mount. I think I should have made it a bit smaller, and a part of me wants to pop it into a metal frame to provide a binding-like final edge. But that braid looks nice too. However, I'm not sure how to get it sewn to the edge - yes, the same fears as before but needing a slightly different solution. I guess I won't know until I sit down and start...
A last minute decision as I sat down saved me from possible frustration and disaster I think. Better to stitch down the edge of the quilt before adding the decorative braid on top. That way I did not have to control two things at once. First pass tacked the quilt to the mount with invisible thread and a narrow zigzag stitch. Second pass used same thread but a wider zigzag over the braid which laid nicely along the edge with the help of the tip of my seam ripper to guide it. Slow slow slow stitching, one thing I love about my Viking - the control to take one stitch at a time.
But when I put it back up on the design wall, the braid did not read as dark as I had hoped, although it is a beautiful complement to colors in this quilt and a beautiful edge finish. Sometimes it doesn't take much to bring a little definition, so I tried something I've done many times, ran a line of straight stitch right next to the braid using a dark brown buttonhole weight silk thread. Perfect!
Now I am dithering about the outside edge of the mount. I think I should have made it a bit smaller, and a part of me wants to pop it into a metal frame to provide a binding-like final edge. But that braid looks nice too. However, I'm not sure how to get it sewn to the edge - yes, the same fears as before but needing a slightly different solution. I guess I won't know until I sit down and start...
1 comment:
That braid looks lovely. I must admit to becoming very fond of tacking as I move into the quilt stages of my City & Guilds. A little time spent making sure it's where you want it to be is well spent.
Post a Comment