Mini whole cloth - things I learned!
 

I have dreamed of making a whole cloth quilt since I first started quilting. It is definitely a daunting task - I've done lots of reading and drooling for the last 10+ years.

I decided to try and do my own - a mini one.

I have a quilting / embroidery sewing machine so decided to use some blocks that I have purchased (I have over 5000 designs that I "love" but never use ... sigh)

I chose black fabric so I could really see what I was doing - and a good check on my progress with FMQ.

I used chalk to outline the squares and then used my machine to do the embroidered / quilted blocks.

I then did FMQ in the corners in black thread - since you can't see it, I decided to use coloured thread for in between the designs.

Here's my quilt ... and below are my lessons learned !

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Lesson # 1

Don't "embroider" through all three layers when you have an even slightly dense pattern. The back of the quilt is so tight and overlapping with threads that it looks messy, and I really don't want to spend hours pulling those threads through and trying to make the back of the quilt look nice:

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Lesson # 2

Don't FMQ in colour unless you are perfect LOL ... while I am very happy with the progress I have made doing FMQ - my stitches are even, I have a fabulous machine that makes FMQ a breeze ... winging it is not my forte ... yet. I have done FMQ on another quilt and I had a pattern to follow, and it was really well done. Practice makes perfect, and I have lots more practice to go, or I just always follow a pattern, and don't wing it!

Lesson # 3

Don't use chalk ... I couldn't get the markings to come off (short of washing it before it was done, which I was not going to do), and I changed what I was going to do in the middle (after I had marked it). This made it hard to figure out where my "new" markings were.

Lesson # 4

Plan the entire thing before you even start. I had planned on doing some quilting around the borders between the "design blocks" but I don't even know what I want in there, so it's all sewn together (binding and all) and if I find a design I like, I might finish it off.

Lesson # 5

Be very happy that I have a cat, and friends with cats who will thoroughly enjoy sleeping on a nice black quilt and don't care about uneven lines!

Thanks for looking ... and if you have any comments, suggestions for my next whole cloth quilt, I am more than happy to read them!

looking good! great comment on the cats. yep, they don't care!

Thank you Marion.

Great job on your quilt. Your post and descriptions are helpful too. Thanks for explaining the process as I have wondered about these quilts. I haven't tried to do the whole quilting process with the EMB machine yet.

Have you tried any of the stippling blocks in our machines? Wonder if they would work? You would have to re-align the fabric for the next design space.

I admire your courage to do FMQ. I've only tried it once. Not pretty!

I think the front is gorgeous.

Would using a thinner batting have helped the back turn out better?

You are brave to tackle that project. Well done for you first attempt. I don't think I'll ever attempt a whole cloth quilt!

Hey Rhonda K ... yes, I have tried the stippling blocks and they do work, but it is really tight. You wouldn't have the mess of the embroidery blocks, with all the changes in colours, and overlap. It has nothing to do with tension, just that the sewing is so close together.

I am going to try another one, and see how that goes!

No, a thinner batting wouldn't matter. It is so dense because of the pattern, and the overlapping of stitches. Plus, changing the colours makes it look really messy.

I think for it to look nicer on the back, it needs to be an "outline' not a full "pattern" ... the outlines work really nice.

I have a bunch of stencils that I might use. I'm trying to find an easier way to transfer a picture that I can print onto my fabric. I don't want to have to retrace it 100 times.

If anyone knows of an easy way to do this???? I've googled and you-tubed, but all I can find is print it out, trace over it and rub it on. I'm trying to find something where I can iron on the design ... or something easy like that!

Looks really good! Great design.

To get the chalk out on a black quilt when they won't brush away, I take a piece of my leftover fabric wadded up, wet it slightly and brush/rub the chalk marks away. Seems to work well for me.

Watson