Pin Basting Continued

I had not expected to get the pin basting done on Tuesday.  However, my appointment canceled at the last minute due to air conditioning problems so I got to work longer than planned for the day.

I am rethinking my method of pin basting on the tile floor, though.  I used to use stretcher bars propped up on the backs of chairs when I thread basted.  In consideration of my sore knees, I think that method might be adapted to pin basting as well and it would be much easier on the knees!

Here is the result of the day.

This pattern made it easy to get the 4" grid I normally use when pin basting since the 4-patches are 4" and the bricks are 4" x 8" rectangles.

It is easier to see in this close up photo.  I'm already visualizing it quilted.

I also now have parts of two quilts in progress on the design wall.  I really have to decide which one to take down as they will both cover the entire wall.  So many quilts, so little time!

Later  in the day on Tuesday, we got a HUGE dust storm.  You have seen impressive pictures of this on the national news, I'm sure.  Of course, the local news has covered it extensively.

I took this picture from the kitchen through the patio door so it's not the best quality.  If it were video, you would see the trees whipping around as the winds were quite strong.

The area above the fence is the dense dust.  It may look like fog, but there was little moisture in it.  You can see how parched the grass is and it is watered daily.  Other areas got some rain, but we did not out here in the boonies.  I wish I had taken the picture from the upstairs so you could see the huge cloud of dust that enveloped us.  Ah Choo!  Now my house is covered in it!

So, how do you baste?  Do you crawl around on your knees?  Do you have a basting frame?  Do you just have the long arm quilter baste it or even quilt it?  Share what you do to prepare your quilts for quilting.

Until next time,

Lois





Pin Basting

Yesterday, though a holiday was a quiet day.  We did not have family in nor did we go to be with family.  Sometimes you just need a "catch up" day to do whatever you want or need to do.  After some catch up ironing, we had to go out and buy a new iron.  Yep, after the ironing was done.  The iron decided to boil the water and spew it out in globs on the clothes.  Not a good thing!

Then, I got to play!

The first step is to re-press the top and backing and to de-thread both during this process.  This is a pile of thread collected from the seam side of the top.  If you leave these threads, particularly the dark ones, Murphy's Law takes effect and you have dark threads behind every light piece in the quilt.

Okay, maybe not every one, but they WILL find their way to the light pieces and make a shadow on the quilt.  This is definitely not a good thing!

The second step is to lay the quilt back down with the right side down and the seam side up.  In my case, I do this on a tile floor and tape the backing in place.

When we lived in a house with plush carpeting I used to T-pin the quilt back in place, but this house has Frize' or something like that with loops.  You just can't pin baste on that!

Next comes the batting, for which there is not photo.  Until I downloaded the pictures, I thought I had taken a photo of that step, but it wasn't on the camera.  No way was I going to remove the top to take the picture! 

The batting should be about an 1" on all sides smaller than the backing and centered on it.

Finally comes the top.  This time, seam side down and right side up!

The top should be centered on the batting and as straight as it can be.  I have been known to get out a carpenter's square to accomplish this.  Sometimes this is more important to me than others.  This is a bed quilt that will not be entered in a show, so it's not as critical, though I still what it straight on the batting and backing so I do take time with this process.

Here is another view of the sandwich ready to have the pins inserted.

You can see the claw foot of the table which is now shoved against the island in the kitchen.  This is motivation to get the pin basting done as it makes it difficult to use the table for meals.

My husband expects meals.  Go figure!

Today I will be putting in the pins.  I have an outside appointment so it may not all get accomplished today.  Unless I want to crawl on the floor all evening, it just won't all get done today.  This is a time consuming, but very important step.

Maybe I should think about having my basting done by a long armer.  It would save a lot of time that could be used quilting!

Well, it's time to put the knee pads on!  Just kidding, I really don't use them, but it's a thought!

Before I go, we had rain last night!  Yay! It had been a LONG time since we'd had more than a sprinkle.  It was nice to listen to the rain as I fell asleep last night.  Those of you where you've had flooding might not be as excited about rain as I am, but here in the desert, we look forward to a good rain!

Until next time,
Lois