Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Mom's Log Cabin Quilt


My mother has been a quiltmaker for as long as I can remember.
As she has aged, it has become more of a challenge
for her to hand quilt her projects. She pieced this lovely
log cabin quilt and I offered to machine quilt it for her.
Perhaps you may be interested in following the process.


In the past, I've always laid my quilts out on the carpet to
pin them together. I'm not sure about you, but it is a real
killer on the back and knees. This time I decided to try
basting on the top of a table. Since I have two tables,
I placed the tables side by side and draped each layer
over the tables, being careful to center the fabric.


To hold the fabric tight, I used several clamps from my
husband's toolbench. Using one clamp on each corner worked
better than I could have hoped! It held the fabric in place
and I was able to tighten or loosen the tension as desired.
Once a section was pinned,
the fabric could easily be repositioned.

(For anyone interested in purchasing a set of clamps, here is
a link to the brand I used.
The ones shown in my photo are
an older model.)


I have to admit, this method of pinning was a real time saver.


Machine quilting usually isn't one of my favorite steps of the
quiltmaking process. My perspective
is changing due to the larger throat space on my
new-to-me Singer 201.
Those extra inches make a
huge difference!


The extra space around the needle allowed my
hands to move freely.




I'm thinking Mom will like the finished product.


What method do you use to baste a quilt?

May you always Sew in Peace!
Sandra

2 comments:

  1. What a nice log cabin! The quilt stitches from the 201 look great! Your mom should be more than pleased when she sees the finished quilt. If I run across a 201 like yours, I would seriously consider---no I would buy it right away :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lovely quilt and your Mom will love it!

    Like you, I've always basted my quilts together on the carpet and, yes, it is hard on the knees and back.

    I now have two tables and will do like you have done. Didn't think about the clamps; but a great idea. Thanks for the tip.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and leave a comment! I appreciate hearing from you!