Fit to be tied

I can finally leave the back of this quilt and return to the heart of the project.  The front has the stories and I was anxious to get back to it.  I almost forgot what it looked like.

I never intended to properly quilt this side.  The 'quilting' part of this project was more patchwork than texture.  However, having got my hands dirty with the back section, I feel okay about leaving this side a little bare.  I do however need to find a way to attach it to the wadding and the back section.

I settled on tying.  In my head this meant creating little bows at junctures. In reality it was a pain and very fiddly.  My fingers still ache a bit from the tiny work.  The quilts I referred to (in my head) for this step always used yarn for the bows.  It's a bit more substantial and cozy, but it also eventually turns into natty lumps.  I also didn't have any around.

I went with embroidery floss again.  I may live to regret this decision, as it isn't very substantial at all, but it was what I had on hand and I was feeling comfortable after all that hand quilting.

First I had to layer the pieces together.  The back is fairly sturdy as is, so I just smoothed it out and rolled the top out while praying it all was generally the same size.  After my issues with the back sizing I had a brief panic about it all being too big or small.

Turns out it is almost perfect.

All that worrying and it turned out just as it was meant to.  It's almost as if I actually know what I'm doing and not just making it up.

Once the top bit was squared up to the bottom bit, I started pinning it together.  I tend to work from one edge and then sweep along (right to left, left to right) working my way to the opposite edge, always smoothing out as I work.  The issue I have with tying is that the back and front are in no way in conversation and so any marks on wither side will stand out on the opposite side.  In order to make the tying a bit easier, I pinned at each juncture I wanted a bow.  This gave me stability in the fabric, but also a guide on the back to see if any points just happened to match up and I could go through all layers.

I'll save you the suspense, none matched up.

Because none of the front junctures were anywhere close to any of the back junctures the tying portion of this game was going to be tricky.  I had to catch the top and the wadding in the bow, but leave the back to its own devises.  With all the hand quilting, the back is quite secure with the wadding.  I'm just hoping the multitude of ties on the front will keep the front secure to the wadding as well.

With nothing left to do but start, I boldly heading into unknown territory and starting experimenting with some bows.  I start with a needle and floss, make an initial stitch (leaving a very long tail) and then double that stitch so it is as secure as possible.  Next I simply tie a bow, as if I was tying my shoes, and double knot it.

Done.

Inevitably, the first one didn't grab enough layers but the rest turned out fine, in terms of layer catchment.  The bows are a bit anemic, but I think it will do.

When I got to the end, I realized the scattering of knots may not be enough to hold everything in place until the binding goes on, so I worked my way around the edge, tacking each juncture through all three layers.

And so it's done.  Or at least one step away from done.  Now all that's left is binding.

I say that like it's a simple thing of just whipping it through a machine and TA-DA! QUILT DONE!  I have no idea how to go about binding this sucker.  I may have to break down and read a tutorial or something.

I have to admit the tying treatment didn't turn out how I imagined, but it will have to do.  I'm ready to be done with this particular project.  This quilt has been with me for four months.  The first stages are the most exciting and exasperating in equal measure.  The piecing, patchwork and watching it take shape is exhilarating and full of memory.  These final bits of sandwiching and quilting and binding feel a bit like administrative paperwork.  No wonder so many quilts go unfinished.  Despite the paperwork-aspect, the stories of unfinished quilts would be interesting tales nonetheless.

However, the year is coming to a close and it is time to tie up loose ends and get sorted for the new year.


What projects are you putting off?
How much would it take to finish them and start the new year afresh?


Tell us your paperwork-quilting stories...