Progress on the Morningstar Quilt

I got a late start on quilting the Star Quilt last Sunday.  I was procrastinating because last week, it seemed to give me a touch of tendonitis / carpal tunnel, and I was not wanting to repeat that.  Not sure why -- My hands and wrists are mostly flat / straight as I hold the quilt sandwich flat, and move it around under the needle. 

But once I sat down to it, things went better this week -- I think because the very center of the star is done now -- That's where fully half of the quilt (more than 50 inches of quilt sandwich plus safety pins) has to be bunched up in the throat of the machine.

[The colors are truest in this photo vs some of the others.]

Things I learned :

• Warm up on a piece of scrap for the free-motion quilting.  It will be time well spent.  And I won't have to rip out stitches on the real thing.  
• I've been using the Tangarine thread so far for the center of the star.  That seems to blend the best with the reds, golds, and purples.  Not the color I would have picked, but the color the quilt called for.  Listen to what the quilt wants you to do -- It will tell you--Just listen. 
• Rotate the star clockwise, that way you are moving bulk out of the throat of the machine.
• Use the Floating clamps to take the weight of the quilt.
• This silk batting is very light.  So far, it seems similar to Hobbs 80/20 batts I like so much.  But lighter.  I am looking forward to seeing how it washes up. 

 

What am I doing with all of those basting safety pins?  As I stabilize / stitch an area, I pull the pins and toss them into this little cabbage pitcher.  I don't even bother to close them, as I'll just need to open them again the next time I need to baste a quilt, so it saves me a little time.   So much for "safefty" pins.   The pitcher reminds me of my old friend Sandy, who loved skunk cabbages in spring.  Once I even found a set of skunk cabbage salt and pepper shakers at an antique store, and gave them to her as a gift.  It was so her!

I was so enjoying the process today, and thinking about how easily this part is going now, I was even sad to think I'd be running out of diamonds in the star to stitch in a few weeks.  Not to worry-- I have several other quilt sandwiches waiting to be quilted. 

 

  

This weekend, I was able to move on to the purple / blue layer of the star.  

I am using a variegated blue thread for the stitching.   

I love the hand-drawn look, and am not at all bothered that it's not perfect.

 

It's very relaxing going freehand from point-to-point in all those diamonds.

Like a Zentangle meditation.  Did I say that already? 

It's easier now, working on the outer rings of the star.  But still I can only do it for a couple of hours at a time, as my neck and shoulders start to ache.

Time for a break!