When Quilts Don't Fit...

I got caught up in the webbing yesterday.

And yes, this is a continuation of where I left off in yesterday's post so if you are new or missed it, you might want to flip back and catch up HERE.

It's not that the webbing of this top was difficult - that went just as expected with no upsets other than the usual "ran out of bobbin at the beginning of that column and didn't find out until much later..." (Like you've never had that happen - right?!)

This is the first quilt I've set this way - with longer sashings and shorter sashings and cornerstones.

So what happens when the quilt top is assembled, I take it home to try it out on my king sized bed - and it comes up short?

But then to continue the pattern with more blocks and sashings to keep with this repeat of half-blocks and big blocks it comes out super-huge?

We'll talk more about that in a bit - but first:

I had several folks asking for me to "go live" and do a video of webbing so they could grasp it in full.

You know that here in very rural Virginia my internet at my studio is like one step above dial-up. I don't have internet at the cabin - at home- and we rely solely on cell data which isn't that great at times either.

It's rural living and we are fine with it for most things, but live videos aren't one of the things I can do.  On occasion I've tried to join in on Zoom calls tor special things, and sometimes it works - sometimes it's choppy.  We joke that the wind has to be blowing in the right direction for the connection.

Yesterday I jumped in and just recorded (not live) a little clip to share how this process works a bit better.  It took about an HOUR of the little icon on my phone spinning to get it to upload.

Click to play:

It's choppy - it cuts out in parts, but hey - we tried anyway.

Ready to begin.

I did end up snipping the chaining threads between the rows so I had two quilt top halves - it made it easier to wrangle during the cross-seaming process.

You don't have to keep everything together - you can snip things into manageable sections.

I do my first round of webbing all in one whole, though - because I want the rows completely assembled all the way across the quilt.  It makes the rest of the assembly easier.

Flipping the first row over to the next and stitching it down.

I mentioned in the video that I finger press while webbing the top and building my rows across. This just gets things heading in the right direction.

After I have stitched the first row to the second, I take it to the ironing board and press that seam, and also press the next two rows down the quilt in preparation for sewing those together.

Press the seam, and press a bit further down the quilt where you will be sewing next.  It keeps things manageable that way.

Two halves, ready to join together.

One "half" is wider than the other as it includes the center column. If this still felt too unwieldy for anyone, they could have snipped the chaining threads in the webbed top into 3 workable sections.

While sewing this - as all of my blocks had bias edges (diagonal string blocks often do) I stitched with the string blocks against the feed dogs, and the sashing on top to ease in and manage any stretch.

And here is where we are now.

It never looks as big when it's off the floor!

The top measures roughly 95'' X 95''.  I brought it home to try on my bed, and while it is okay in length, it is way too short on the sides.

And there in lies my conundrum. I can border 3 sides.  Maybe string piano keys?

Or - I can extend the pattern with one more wide row followed by one narrow row (and sashings) to one side which will add about 20'' to the width.  That should give me the drape I need.

That just means more piecing, any way I look at it.

It's not like there is a shortage in the string department - it's just that *I* wanted this done and off the list.  So it's a me problem.

I'm not crazy about piano keys on only 3 sides.

So I think I've made up my mind while typing this.  I'm going to have to dive back into making string blocks and increase the width by that much.

How many more? 87 by my count. Which could be off. Argh.

Quit judging me, Lola!

At any rate - this is where I am.  

But not today.  Today is for spending time with the December Quiltvillians and getting everything ready for tomorrow's Part Two release of the Indigo Way Mystery.

The sun is shining (though rain is forecast) and temps should hit 50 today - and I welcome it!

What's going on for your Thursday?

Quiltville Quote of the Day-

I know it's scary.

⁣

Just take that leap.

And I guess that includes more string blocks?