Out for Quilting!!!

Well, yesterday we dropped off the quilt top to be quilted...I am so relieved! As I mentioned earlier, it was recommended that I look into longarm quiliting services to complete the quilt. My original search turned up a service right here in town, but that didn't pan out. I had also seen a service available a couple towns away, so that's what we went with. The quilt top is now in the waiting line to be finished (about 3 months wait) at the Quiltmakers Cottage in Hershey, PA. Debbie, the quilter, was there and able to talk with us about a possible design.

For novices to this whole thing, like me, wikipedia (my favorite on-line information source) defines longarm quilting as follows: "Longarm quilting is the process by which a longarm sewing machine is used to sew together a quilt top, quilt batting and quilt backing into a finished quilt. The longarm sewing machine typically ranges from ten to fourteen feet in length. One typically consists of an industrial sewing machine head, a ten-to-fourteen foot table, and several rollers on which the fabric layers are placed. Quilting using a longarm machine can take significantly less time than hand quilting or more traditional machine quilting." Most longarm quilting produces an all-over pattern on the quilt. Debbie works freehand with the machine and will be doing a custom design of scrolls, flowers and leaves on our quilt using a pastel ombre thread. I cannot wait to see it...should be ready some time in February (actual quilting will only take about a day, but she has a long waiting list).

The Cottage will also bind the quilt for us which is finishing the edge with a trim. We had to pick out a fabric for this while we were there...took a while but we ended up with a stripe, has some red and lavender to match the label, really cheerful and whimsical. The team at the shop was very helpful.

A couple pictures of the shop and Debbie at work. Check back in February to see the final product.

The Quilt Top is Finished!!!

I am really happy to report that as of last night, Monday, September 27, 2010, the 100 Good Wishes Quilt top is now complete!! Aunt Susan finished the final three 9-patch panels and applied the border over the weekend, finishing up yesterday after school. As the pictures will show, it is really just beautiful.

This second picture is of the embroidered label I commissioned, which was substituted for the plain white center in the lower left /purple 9-patch panel...came out great. (For the curious, the Chinese characters read Bai Jia Bei.)

Also thrilled to report that I was able to locate a "long-arm quilter" who lives right here in town! She is an officer in a local quilting guild...what a piece of good luck! We have had a bit of e-mail correspondence, and she expects to be available to finish our quilt sometime later this year (most likely, starting in November). I hope to meet with her soon to show her the top and discuss a design.

And lastly, an update on the book of wishes. All pages are now in place and just waiting for the final touches on the last page for the last square I received. I am looking in to a better way to bind the book as I have all the pages in a 3-ring binder right now that doesn't seem like it will hold up well.

Finally, and in case I don't say it as often I should, many, many thanks to Aunt Susan for her work on piecing the top together!!!

Another Year Later...

Yes, it's been a year since I last posted here and to be honest, we had put the quilt aside for a while as the adoption process continued to slow. Right now, we are back in business and we have completed our collection of squares...YES!! WE HAVE ALL 100 WISHES!! The last 3 squares and wishes are from our two new canine friends, Dexter and Seamus and one from my High School friend, Kate (aka Aunt Kate).

Aunt Susan is piecing together the last three panels then she will add those, apply the border (which includes 4 of the wish squares) and VOILA! the quilt top will be done. I am thrilled.

After careful consideration, I have decided to send the top out to a professional "long-arm quilter" for completion. I received this bit of advice while searching for someone to embroider a label for the quilt. I was a bit worried about Aunt Susan and I quilting on our own...we have no experience and I would think it would take a month of Sundays, not to mention the fear that we would mess things up after all this work. The top is really beautiful, so I think this is the best way to go.

Stand by for more on the "long-arm" selection and design process and I will post pictures as this comes to the end of job...I can't wait.

Many thanks to all who contributed to this work of art!!