Happy Treadler

I'm FINALLY getting around to quilting my daughter's bright & cheery Lover's Knot quilt. I really love this time of year!! She chose big swirls (almost like a snail shell that goes round and round and then round again to come back out). I started, but now I'm finding myself really NOT enjoying this process. I used to machine-quilt so many things, but have been hand quilting all summer long. Something changed (don't know what!), but I'm really struggling to finish this thing for her on the machine. I know if I hand-quilt it it will probably take WAY too long (it's a queen-sized quilt) and I won't get the thing on her bed until Christmas (if I'm lucky).

Guess I figured I'd just vent here, put on my big girl pants, and make my little girl happy. :)

Thanks for listening!

Prism99

You may need to practice the swirls first to get back in the "swing" of machine quilting. I make up small quilt sandwiches of scrap muslin for just this purpose.

leatheflea

Grab those scraps and practice, or just keep going, I'm sure she wont notice what you do.

mary quite contrary

That's funny because I too have been enjoying handquilting more. I have one I started machine quilting that I need to get in there and finish.

Holice

It looks like you might need to mark a few of the swirls first to help you get into the rhythm. There are stencils made that you can mark the dsign. Marking would help keep the lines even.

Happy Treadler

Well.... Here's my thought. This process is supposed to be enjoyable (for me!). SEW, I have started tearing out what I did (which wasn't a WHOLE lot) and will just hand quilt it. I spent WAAAY too much time and effort into piecing the thing to finish it with no enthuasiasm. This way, in the end, it may even mean more to her since I took the time to do it right. I already made the template, and now I just need to find a marking technique that will cross the broad range of colors (white and very dark). I just think I will machine quilt when I feel like it, but mostly from now on I will probably be a hand quilter. :) I just really LOVE to hand quilt, and its not like she doesn't have a 'cheapo' bed covering to use until it's finished.