Wow, that didn't take long at all! The clamshells are all done on the Piece of Cake 3 quilt. Once I got past those first couple rows things went fast and smoothly. It is easy to get into the rhythm of the quilting design, know when to adjust the weight of the quilt, when and where to position the ruler, and how to fix it when things go wonky. As promised, I didn't pick out any stitches and left in the initial wobbles.
I'm now removing the remainder of the marked lines and I finally tried the special Clover Eraser Pen. It works beautifully to remove the blue pen marks and I used it when I started marking in the wrong place. It was also ideal for small dots I'd missed but for the majority of the removal I've found a spray bottle works perfectly. Mine sprays a fine mist of distilled water and then I dab with a paper towel to absorb the excess. It's dry in no time and the lines are completely removed instantly. I did spray the marks each night of the rows I'd finished for the day because I don't like to leave them on the fabric too long.
Next up I will trim the excess batting and backing and stitch the binding to the front of the quilt. For some reason I am totally in the mood to hand-sew (a day I thought I would never see) and I look forward to finishing up the binding on the back using my gorgeous Goody Goody Binding Kit. I'm really proud of that project! There's still no chocolate bar in it though...
One other tool I used is the Clover Soft-touch Thread Pick. I mainly use it for pulling up the bobbin thread and picking out stitches but one of its actual intended uses is to pluck out those stray threads that are under your quilt top, trapped between the fabric and batting. I'm seeing a few red and blue threads straying into the white sashing and this little notion works fantastically well! The very fine hook pierces the top and pulls up the thread. It is amazing!
I can't believe the quilting is done on that first winter piecing project. It went so fast and was the perfect segue into this part of the quilt making process. I am stoked to keep going and so pumped that I successfully tried something new. I can't wait to select the next UFO to get under the needle and try a new design. I always love the quilting part once I get started and boy do I love that Sweet 16. I only had one hiccough along the way with a couple of clamshells that didn't have nice quality stitches. I totally knew it was happening because of the sound the machine makes, specifically the bobbin. I let it go for two clams and then knew it wasn't right. I cleaned out the bobbin area of a bit of fluff and reinserted the bobbin case. Problem fixed! The lesson learned is to stop right away when you know something sounds out of the ordinary.
This is all so joyful to me and I'm loving every second. The best part is when I have a plan and know what I'm going to do. Quilting it is easy for me once I'm sitting at the machine and the sound of the stitching is music to my ears. Here is the finished quilting...I just adore the texture of these clamshells!
The clamshells look great!
I've never seen the Eraser Pen or the Thread Pick before. Thanks for explaining them.
Posted by: Vireya | May 15, 2016 at 05:39 PM
Thanks, Vireya! I love to share the great (AND the not-so-great) gadgets I find. Might help someone else decide whether to buy or not! I'm hand binding the clamshell quilt right now and can't wait to wash it and see the finished project. Have a great day!!!
Posted by: angie | May 16, 2016 at 02:58 PM