First Quilt Ever!- What now?
 

Finished piecing my first quilt.... This is a quilt for my best friends baby (I just found out she's pregnant for the first time). What color should I make the boarder. Would stitch in the ditch be an ok way to quilt this? What kind of batting should I use?

Your thoughts would be much appreciated!

WOW ! fabulous job for your first quilt! it's gorgeous!!!

Great quilt! I'd do a plain border, picking out one of the colours you like from the blocks. Alternatively, if you want to keep the celestial theme, dark navy.

SITD is fine for quilting, but a lot of quilters find it very difficult to stay precisely in the 'ditch'. Some people find it easier to do a wavy line which criss-crosses their lines. Try a small sample first, to see what you prefer and how easy you find it.

As for batting, it's a matter of personal preference/budget. The most luxurious (ergo expensive!) is silk, followed by wool, cotton or bamboo and finally, polyester.

Re batting - I prefer 100% cotton Quilter's Dream myself (there are 3 weights - Request, Select and Deluxe) or a bamboo, bamboo/cotton blend. Warm and Natural is very popular, but be careful you lay the correct side against your top or you may get 'bearding', especially on the darker bits. Happy quilting! :)

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I agree that this is an amazing job for a first quilt! Great job. I prefer 100% cotton batting myself. For all, not just baby quilts. It will tend to give the 'crinkly' look when washed as it does shrink. Most cotton battings, I don't believe, lend themselves to being pre-shrunk. I use Warm & Natural as I have an entire roll of it, but if not, would probably go with the Quilter's Dream brand. It does have a very nice drape and hand to it. W&N allows quilting up to 10" apart. Not sure of other batts, so you may want to check out that aspect as well, once you've determined your quilting pattern.

As to border...I might go with a lighter color, just to pick up some of those shades and make them 'pop' a bit. With the job you've done here though, I'm sure anything you decide will be lovely.

Wow! That is stunning. It looks like a day dream that Neil Degrasse Tyson might have! You must have had fun/great frustration selecting the placement on the fabric for the points. That red center one looks just like some of the distant photos crom Hubble!
I think that baby is destined to be a scientist!
If you do a meandering quilt pattern you can point out that it is repeating fractal pattern, apropos for the astronomical theme.

Thank you!!!! I never knew this.

this was my first thought, too :thumbup:

Love that stack and whack. Fabulous. Want to see more!!

I agree!! Wow. Beautiful first quilt!

You finished that quickly! It looks great.

Please post another picture when you get the borders on. --- I would go with dark…navy.

I would also pick Navy, like the night sky. As far as quilting it, stitch in the ditch would be fine, but when you run into those joins where all 6 triangles come together, it might be too bulky for your machine. I would stitch 1/4" away from the seam, on both sides of the seam. It is twice as much quilting, but with a baby quilt you want it to be sturdy. If you have a walking foot for your machine, this would be the place to use it.
Your quilt is wonderful. Great fabric choice!

I knew you could do it! Looks great! :thumbup: Blue border would be a good colour I think. There is a quilting design chart on QB for OBW that you might find interesting. SITD is fine for quilting and if you have a walking foot it might make it easier to go over the seams.

Fabulous quilt! I have been quilting for over 20 years and have yet to attempt the OBW. You did a spectacular job. My favorite borders for OBW quilts like yours is the original fabric. I always think it is fun to see the original fabric that made up the hexies on these. And there is no doubt that it will match!. If you have more of it or can get more of it, I would use that.

Regarding quilting, there is a lot going on in the quilt already and anything fancy won't show. As others have said, SID isn't always easy to maintain. I love quilting 1/4" away from the ditch or close to it, using the edge of my presser foot as a guide. If your batting allows it, you can just quilt around, or just inside each hexi. Another easy quilting design that would work well with this quilt is a simple cross hatch set on point. Just straight line quilting diagonally across the top, first in one direction, then the opposite, forming a grid of diamonds. I would recommend a 2" grid. Use a thread that will blend in. You can use blue painters tape as a guide for your lines. It is easy to do and quick. Best to get a walking foot for your machine for any quilting but if you don't have one you can probably get by with your regular foot, just make sure the sandwich is well basted so you don't get shifting. Many here like using diluted elmers school glue or spray adhesive. The cross hatch will make the quilt extra durable for the numerous washings a baby quilt needs to endure.

Yes, I always tell myself...."eyes up"

You did a fabulous job...are you sure you never did this before or are you joshing us? Just kidding.........you have graduated cum laude......are you hooked now or was this just a passing challenge.....

Wow! That's a great quilt, especially for a first! You must be a "natural" at this! :)

I also like to see a bit of the original fabric on stack-n-whacks. If not on the front, then do a panel of it on the back. It's sort of a childish thing to do I guess but I have fun tracking down where each triangle came from in the original fabric pattern.

I like the idea of a "night sky" border. Dark blue with random dot-stars would be perfect.

Wow thank you! That is exactly what I was going for. I was thinking having a strip of my boarder embroidered with the quote "We are made of star stuff" by Carl Sagan

If this is your 1st quilt, what will you try next? This is fabulous. With all those colors maybe a black for the border so it doesn't take away from them. On the batting, it depends on whether you want it fluffy and soft or sturdy I guess. I used to use W & N but have gone to Hobbs 80/20 as that's all I can get locally. It makes for a warm quilt here in Iowa so I'm happy. I still can't get over this being your 1st quilt, its amazing. WELL DONE!!!!

Stunning quilt anxious to see finish.

Wow! Thanks for all of the kind words and advice. All of this positive feedback is good for the ego Its definitely not perfect, not all of the points in the middle of the hexagons line up perfectly, and it is definitely not perfectly squared up but the busy design makes the tiny imperfections disappear, and I think adding a boarder will help me square up the quilt.(hoping).

I just bought a Singer Talent 3321 off of craigslist for $75 for this project but I am going to buy a walking foot for my sewing machine for the quilting step. I sort of wished I had it when I was sewing the rows together.

Thanks for the quilting advice feline fanatic. Cross hatching sounds like a good plan, either that or I will follow the seam-lines on either side ¼ out. Do you guys think navy blue or black thread will bend in best?

Its going to take me awhile to finish this project (have to wait until I get paid to buy the boarder, backing, batting, walking foot, thread), but I was thinking about doing another one block wonder with this fabric:

https://www.fabric.com/buy/209983/ti...FQ6maQodIyQA9A

I also want to make a quilt for my bed, not sure what design yet. I really love the process of seeing all of the kaleidoscopes come together.

This turned out beautiful! I would make the border in a fabric that looked like the night sky. Navy blue by itself would work, but I thought I saw some starry night looking fabric at fabric.com. Anyway, beautiful quilt!!

Dina

This turned out beautifully! I remember your post when you were trying to decide on the fabric and the suggestions and advise you were given to start out with something a little easier for your first quilt. Boy, did you exceed all expectations for a newbie -congratulations. Be sure to post another picture when you finish.

People were really worried about me... Its not perfect, but I am really happy with it.

Wow - very impressive for a first quilt! I love it.

How about this one for the border? I'm also very impress and love your quilt. :)

http://www.bugfabric.com/fabric/them....html?___SID=U

From your work, you look like a natural. Very nice Quilt.

You did an awesome first quilt!!!

Stunning quilt - well done!

WOW!!!! Just beautiful.....I also can't believe it's your 1st quilt! I like the idea of navy for the border, and navy thread for the quilting, or maybe navy/black variegated thread.

wow, awesome quilt. You did a beautiful job. The border should be something celestial looking.definitely keep up the good work.

Neither did I! I pick up so many little things from this board.

I always choose cotton batting for a baby quilt. Amazing job. I also agree with a plain border from one of the colors in the quilt.

You did an amazing job. I don't know that I could give up my first quilt if it turned out as beautiful as this one did!

Great quilt for a baby and then a toddler. Lots of color and movement. Happy, happy.

WOW, that's truly amazing for a first quilt, mine was a cheater panel; but you should be very proud. I would pick one of the colors in the quilt, maybe a dark blue, is there some purple in there? I use Warm & Natural in my quilts, I like the way it hugs to the cotton top and backing, making it easier for me to smooth out the quilt top; but it's personal preference. An all over meandering might work or a stitch in the ditch, but with a small zig zag stitch or a curving stitch. Try a sample and see what you like, whatever you choose I'm sure your finished quilt will be beautiful.

great quilt!!!

WOW! You did an amazing job for your 1st quilt you are a natural, Knitette has good advise as all the other ladies here

If you have it, I think a border of the original fabric would be great. If you don't have enough for the whole border, maybe 12 inches of it bracket-like in opposite corners and then using a solid that you like from the print for the rest.

Your quilt is wonderful!!

Amazing first quilt Love the coo theme.