I finished up the quilt for my niece-in-law's baby this morning so it is winging its way to California, hopefully to arrive before the baby makes her big entrance. Apparently she has been getting restless, with designs to make an early appearance, something mom would not mind at this point. I'm glad to have this done and out of the studio - it is so unlike anything I would have come up with, but exactly what mom wanted to have made. As I quilted the diagonal lines across those gray crosses, I was reminded that this is why I rarely do commission work. Too often it means working with colors and fabrics and even designs I'm not that crazy about. It's better when the client gives me carte blanche on those things, but then I worry anyway and find myself trying to second guess what they would like. The best is to have someone choose to buy a finished product - I have made what I wanted to make and they know exactly what they are getting.
The quilt ended up to be about 49" x 66" after I spritzed it with water and tossed it in the dryer. I needed that pulling up of the cotton batting to hide some of the wobbly lines of the grid. It's amazing how difficult it is to sew a straight line across a quilt, even when marked )I used a hera marker so there'd be no guidelines to remove), and all the more noticeable when done in contrasting thread. As much as I thought teal would look good and found agreement with the nil, once I started adding it, I wondered if I should have stuck with white. Too late now! This is Superior Fantastico polyester thread. Oh, it is yummy stuff and worked well in both the top and bobbin.
As with the other baby quilt for the godson's baby boy, I opted out of making and sewing on a separate label. Instead, I just carefully inked a brief inscription on the back using a micron pigma pen. Ok, little Emmy, you can come out now!
2 comments:
Sheila, It came out nice and I would not worry about the wobble. I don't think there is any way to avoid it when sewing "straight" lines. I hear you on the commissions thing. I have never done one, but it does sound like a lot of pressure and very restrictive. I know that these are not colors you would have chosen and that the design would come out much more dramatic in reds, white and turquoise. But you did a great job with what you were given. I do like red and turquoise as in my bird piece, but that is more drama than some folks like. I am sure the baby and the parents will love your quilt.
Yes-- a perfect solution for a quilt label. Everything is there, and it will be difficult for anyone to remove later, meaning you get credit for this quilt for many years to come! I always forget that writing on the quilt is indeed an option. You are free to turn down the next commission if it's not your style. Life is too short to make stuff we're not in love with ourselves!
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