Forget Me Knot - Vest - Part II

Quilting, Part One

The vest has two types of quilting, the filler diamond quilting and the knot quilting in the border. I've started with the diamond quilting for this project. The type of quilting I start with depends on the project. Since the borders are in one with the body pieces, I wanted to quilt the diamonds first. This gives me the ability to smooth the fabric out to the edges, as the fabric distorts just a bit when quilted. If I quilted the borders first, there is a good possibility that the section with the filler would be wrinkled from too much fabric and there would be no way to quilt that flat.

For this vest, the fashion fabric is a synthetic crepe, the batting is a split layer of Hobb's Tuscany silk batting and the backing is tulle. The piece will be lined later, so the third layer doesn't matter, but it has to have one or it doesn't qualify as a quilt! I'm using Superior's Glitter thread in the color lilac, and a straight stitching with a stitch length of 3mm.

To start, I usually quilt the largest piece first, from the center outward. This is another key to keep the fabric flat and smooth. As you can see in the photo below, I've stitched all the lines in one direction first. I also stitch all the lines the same, from the top edge to the bottom edge, *not* flipping the piece at the halfway point. It is tempting to flip it around to make it easier to maneuver through the sewing machine. Because these line are on a 45 degree angle, and thus on the bias, it is important not to flip it around to keep the fabric from distorting or wrinkling in two different directions.

Starting to mark the fabric:

Lines all stitched one way, the second set of lines has been started:

For this project, the quilted lines are 1/2" apart. This produces pretty small boxes, as shown below. I match the size of the space between the lines to the project and of course do samples to see what works best and looks right to me.

Below is a completed front. This work isn't actually hard to do, but can get a bit tedious. I tend to stitch 5 lines at a time, then press the piece, smooth out the unquilted areas, repin the safety pins holding the 3 layers together, check to make sure the next 5 lines are still straight and start the process over. This process keeps the fabric smooth and the lines straight. Ripping out lines is not fun! I know all too well!

As you can see, there are quite a few loose threads at the edges. Tomorrow, I'll show you how I handle those and get the pieces ready for the next portion of quilting.

Parting Shot: "Ice Sculpture". While clearing the snow off the deck, my husband made this "sculpture" from some of the icicles hanging off the roof. The longest one is about 4 feet long.