This week's lesson learned

The title should be two weeks ago lesson learned, since I actually composed it then but forgot to actually post it. Anyhoo.....

Every quilt I quilt brings me new knowledge.  My most recent one is one of my own, so the lesson was not that hard to learn :0)  So what is this new knowledge added to my small brain you ask?

There is a reason why we longarm quilters ask for an extra 4 inches of fabric and batting all around.  How did I acquire this knowledge?

Because this quilt and backing were made before I was considering a longarm machine and I seem to be really good at not buying enough backing fabric. Due to this fabric buying deficit I had to add a few pieced blocks to the backing to make it large enough, and it was just the right size top to bottom.

This becomes a problem when loaded on a longarm machine because you actually fold over the edges a bit on the backing top and bottom then start the top a few inches down on the backing.  So when I got to the bottom there was not enough fabric.  It was a pretty easy fix since the outer border was 6.25 inches wide.  I simple trimmed about an inch off and the earth started rotating again.





















Other lessons learned? Just because you tell the computer to not change the ratio/size of a pattern does not mean it will not revert back and change it anyways.  Result, one section of the meander on the outer border is "stretched out."

Anything else? Oh yes. I unzipped the quilt and used a second set of leaders to load another quilt.  That went well. I completed the other quilt with only minor panic learning opportunities. When I reloaded the first quilt I forgot to change the bobbin thread back to the darker variegated thread I had been using.  Fortunately, the backing fabric is so busy you can't tell.  I also got a lot of practice in placing patterns in borders.  There are technically four borders on this quilt.

The last tip for today, keep all elements of a project together in a box or bag of some sort.  While pulling out the binding for this quilt that had been prepared a few months ago when the backing and piecing were done, I found the binding I had originally made for the Red and White quilt.  I had just finished turning the binding on it the night before. Not to mention I am not super happy with the binding I picked because reds are so hard to match.  I settled.  The binding should have been the same floral as the outer border.  Oh well.  It is still cozy to snuggle under!

Next week I am going away for three full days of quilting fun with a new group of gals.  When I get back I will have a quilt to do for someone in my StitchIts group.  I will be working on Hunter's quilt, a comfy quilt for charity, and the "X" block swap blocks while away.