YBR quilt is done. Advice/critique?
 

This is only my second quilt. I learned a few things. I learned that I don't like the look of the quilt if I'm stitching in the ditch. I don't know if the puckering has to do with the fact that I didn't have a walking foot or if I just like the way free motion or long arm quilting looks. I also didn't like the looseness of the fabric, but I'm not sure if that has to do with my bed was the only place to piece it together.

I want to try that 505 basting spray. I can't wait to try my newly ordered walking foot. And I can't wait to learn how to find a way that I can quilt that will give my quilt the look of a real good quilting. So if anyone wants to critique the quilt or give me some tips, I sure would love to learn some more. I have a couple more quilts in the works that I'd like to do something different with.


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You did a great job on this and the fabric combination is beautiful. If you don't like the look of stitch in the ditch, it's not too late to free-motion quilt, e.g. the border of the bigger plainer squares to add texture. You can practice after you get your walking foot on scraps and fmq it later. Have fun!

I like your quilt--colors are great and overall it looks fine. However, I do encourage you to try to basting spray--I have used it since it first came out and love how it holds things together. (A word of caution--it doesn't take much spray to hold the fabrics together--I learned that the hard way.)
I am sure you will like the walking foot--it makes such a difference in how the fabrics stay together.
If you have a "joining" stitch on your sewing machine (It takes a stitch to the left and the next one to the right of the center) it really makes a nice finish and it is more forgiving if you get off the seam line a bit here and there. You are off to a great start. Keep up the good work. If you want to visit in more depth, feel free to send me a message.

You did a beautiful job! I like how you are embracing new techniques -- it makes it more fun learning each new one. The colors and rotation of blocks is great...can't wait to see what you do next....enjoy!

love your quilt colors. Did you pull everything tight before quilting and I do suggest a walking foot, really helps

Beige and blue... very nice

I think you did a good job. I love the fabrics and the way you used them.

you did a great job. i remember that my second quilt was no where near that nice.

I laid it out on my queen size bed (only space for it) and smoothed it out best I could before layering each piece then pinning it. I did see while sewing that the fabric had shifted somewhat even though I pinned with what I thought was an excess of pins.

I'm excited to try the spray next time. I watched a tutorial on youtube regarding free motion quilting and the 505 basting spray. Its actually how I learned about both. I'd never heard of them before.

I'm sure my sewing machine has a joining stitch...but I wouldn't know how to find it or at what part of the quilting (or where) I'd use it. I've never heard of it before.

Thanks for the offer to msg you. I'll have to take you up on that. :)

I have no idea how to free motion quilt. Just learned about it a few days ago while watching a youtube tutorial. I can free motion quilt with my walking foot? I have some scraps from this blanket that I could practice on. Dang..I even have extra fabric I could just whip an small baby's blanket size together to practice on.

I learned about grid quilting too. Someone told me to use painter's tape. That's how I wanted to quilt this quilt but when I put down the tape, it was falling off before I could even get it over to the sewing machine. :( If I can figure out a way to grid quilt, that might be my option instead of free motion quilting since I have no idea how to do it.

Your walking foot should help a lot! I've been following 31 Days of Walking Foot Quilting at http://blog.petitdesignco.com/2012/1...-quilting.html. Great quilting design ideas to try out without FMQ!

Quilting is easily the most challenging part of the whole process for me. Each quilt I do myself gets a little bit easier.