Call me Crazy. I pursued this quilt for 20 years and, although it did not kill me, it tortured and confounded me the whole time. It was started with love. It morphed into determined obsession. As Ahab said,
"Swerve me?
The path to my fixed purpose is laid with iron rails,
whereon my soul is grooved to run."
This quilt became my White Whale!
"Swerve me?
The path to my fixed purpose is laid with iron rails,
whereon my soul is grooved to run."
This quilt became my White Whale!
I found a lovely quilt design in Quilter's Newsletter Magazine, classic baskets and flowers and vines, pinks and greens on a crisp white background--perfect for my baby daughter!
I bought fabrics. Many pinks and greens, yards of white and white thread. And changed the quilt design to include a 3" outside border. That meant more fabric. And changed the flower design. And changed the embroidery. But I could do it.
So with those changes, I crossed my fingers and started cutting fabric. The pieced blocks and sashing went together well enough, even though I was easing most seams until I realized I was ironing the blocks and distorting them and that I should STOP IT. And I did not know to trim my blocks after assembling them--they were all different fractions of the right size. Augh! The White Whale got me.
I struggled with the white triangles at the ends of each row & in the corners too--somehow they were not correct... or my rows were not. I put it aside until I could learn how to fix it. But I could do it.
The basket handles, flowers, leaves and vines were all applique, sewed by hand. I applied Fray Check to the edges before sewing & found it made the fabric too stiff to roll under. The sewing was a constant battle to get a smooth fold line! Each evening I started sewing and struggled through an hour or 2 until my frustration got the better of me and I stopped. But I could do it.
The method for making the vines seemed so easy at the time! Cut a strip of fabric, sew the quarter-inch seam with wrong sides together, then to attached to the quilt, mark the meandering line on the background fabric and machine-sew the vine right over its previous seam. Then, push the fabric over the seam and hand stitch to the background. Easy.
Except the tension was wacked in my machine & I ended up with big loops in the bobbin thread... that I pushed through with the thought it would be covered up by this sewing method, right? Oh no. I had white thread showing all over my vines. The White Whale got me again. But I could do it.
Finally I finished the top. I don't remember when I started it, but I finished before my daughter was 2--that was less than 1-1/2 years since the magazine issue. Considering all the applique, and that this was my first attempt at it, I was relieved it went together as well as it did. I measured the top and bought backing fabric and Warm & White batting, I wrapped it all in an old white sheet and put it away to quilt it in the winter.
I bought fabrics. Many pinks and greens, yards of white and white thread. And changed the quilt design to include a 3" outside border. That meant more fabric. And changed the flower design. And changed the embroidery. But I could do it.
So with those changes, I crossed my fingers and started cutting fabric. The pieced blocks and sashing went together well enough, even though I was easing most seams until I realized I was ironing the blocks and distorting them and that I should STOP IT. And I did not know to trim my blocks after assembling them--they were all different fractions of the right size. Augh! The White Whale got me.
I struggled with the white triangles at the ends of each row & in the corners too--somehow they were not correct... or my rows were not. I put it aside until I could learn how to fix it. But I could do it.
The basket handles, flowers, leaves and vines were all applique, sewed by hand. I applied Fray Check to the edges before sewing & found it made the fabric too stiff to roll under. The sewing was a constant battle to get a smooth fold line! Each evening I started sewing and struggled through an hour or 2 until my frustration got the better of me and I stopped. But I could do it.
The method for making the vines seemed so easy at the time! Cut a strip of fabric, sew the quarter-inch seam with wrong sides together, then to attached to the quilt, mark the meandering line on the background fabric and machine-sew the vine right over its previous seam. Then, push the fabric over the seam and hand stitch to the background. Easy.
Except the tension was wacked in my machine & I ended up with big loops in the bobbin thread... that I pushed through with the thought it would be covered up by this sewing method, right? Oh no. I had white thread showing all over my vines. The White Whale got me again. But I could do it.
Finally I finished the top. I don't remember when I started it, but I finished before my daughter was 2--that was less than 1-1/2 years since the magazine issue. Considering all the applique, and that this was my first attempt at it, I was relieved it went together as well as it did. I measured the top and bought backing fabric and Warm & White batting, I wrapped it all in an old white sheet and put it away to quilt it in the winter.
When I brought it out to quilt it was several years later. And I was a better educated quilter with more knowledge and techniques to use. And that made it worse.
To my horror, white thread was visible along most of the vines--I would have to remove that and start over! And I had used pencil to outline my applique shapes--on the right side of the fabric! Those leaves or flowers that had pencil showing would have to be replaced! I had also used pencil to mark the meander for the vine (on the white background fabric), but I had not followed it exactly so I had pencil lines showing on white!
To my horror, white thread was visible along most of the vines--I would have to remove that and start over! And I had used pencil to outline my applique shapes--on the right side of the fabric! Those leaves or flowers that had pencil showing would have to be replaced! I had also used pencil to mark the meander for the vine (on the white background fabric), but I had not followed it exactly so I had pencil lines showing on white!
"All that most maddens and torments; all that stirs up the lees of things;
all truth with malice in it; ...all evil, to crazy Ahab,
were visibly personified, and made practically assailable in Moby Dick."
There was so much to do to fix it, I folded it back in the sheet and stored it again. The White Whale got me again. Daughter will get it before she's a pre-teen!
Then My Hubby & I designed her bedroom in pink & white with white furniture and a pretty green & pink & white striped fabric for the skirts and curtains and cushions. And once it was all done my daughter declares she does not like pink. Its not her color.
And with that, I am given every reason to put this quilt away for ever.
Then My Hubby & I designed her bedroom in pink & white with white furniture and a pretty green & pink & white striped fabric for the skirts and curtains and cushions. And once it was all done my daughter declares she does not like pink. Its not her color.
And with that, I am given every reason to put this quilt away for ever.
Late last year my daughter pointed to a quilt design, French Braid, and asked for that quilt. We went fabric shopping soon after and brought home 16 fabrics. And when I bought yards of a solid coral fabric, and joked we should use it for the accent color, she agreed!
For my January 'One Monthly Goal,' I decided to cut 4 sets of the fabrics to see how complicated I had made this new quilt (I decided to try it 'quilt as you go' and had done the math and design and steps in my head but no testing). I started it that week and completed the entire quilt, including binding and washing it, in about 3 weeks. Fastest quilt ever (for me)!
For my January 'One Monthly Goal,' I decided to cut 4 sets of the fabrics to see how complicated I had made this new quilt (I decided to try it 'quilt as you go' and had done the math and design and steps in my head but no testing). I started it that week and completed the entire quilt, including binding and washing it, in about 3 weeks. Fastest quilt ever (for me)!
So I no longer needed to finish the White Whale--my daughter had her quilt, a quilt she loves. But there it was, a complete top, backing and batting that I could make with no strings attached. Just a quilt. No pressure to finish or match anything or please anyone but myself, in the knowledge I finally finished!
Machine quilting was the way to complete this. I thought a crosshatch pattern, scaled to the sashing, would work best. And so, with some masking tape placed and 6 bobbins wound, I started. I was more determined to finish than be perfect, and my machine was flying! My walking foot was breaking the sound barrier and I had tunnel vision on completion.
I shifted the quilt 180 degrees to quilt the perpendicular lines. It seemed some areas had shifted a bit, but I thought I could fix it with more quilting. And tried.
I shifted the quilt 180 degrees to quilt the perpendicular lines. It seemed some areas had shifted a bit, but I thought I could fix it with more quilting. And tried.
It did not turn out well. More quilting does not fix bad quilting! I did not complete the crosshatch quilting. Instead, I shifted my attention to other things and tried to erase the pencil lines. White eraser, kneaded eraser, pink eraser... none worked. With a green permanent marker, I tried masking the white thread showing on the green vines. That did not work either. The White Whale got me again. I buried the threads from the quilting, folded the quilt and put it aside.
"Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale;
to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee;
for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee."
to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee;
for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee."
Now you know I did not stop--this was my White Whale and it had to be conquered--it certainly was not going to conquer me! My SIL told me recently, "You could just throw it out, You don't have to finish it!" which is true and logical and temperate. But not possible. From Hell's Heart I stab at thee! With my needle! And pins! And illogical quilter's brain!
I pulled it off the pile one morning last week and decided this was the day. I would not go to bed until this quilt was finished. Until I had conquered the White Whale!
First to complete the quilting: I had just a 3-inch border to quilt. A vine motif, no leaves, and it would be done. A freshly wound bobbin and the border was complete.
Next, trim the excess backing fabric and batting, and I had enough fabric to cut my binding strips (Yikes!! Up until this stage, I hadn't even thought of fabric for the binding! Could I actually be defeating this thing?). Sew into a continuous strip, and press in the folds.
When asked recently why he machine-binds his quilts, Mr. Domestic replied, "because I like to be done." And that's all I need say, too. Two bobbins wound, and I started the binding. No problems occurred during the binding--I was starting to think this might actually be the day!
I had a few more threads to bury, and looking at the back I saw I needed a quilting line to define the field from the border and so set about quilting more. That was done in no time and I kept thinking what else? What else? But that was it. It was done.
It was disappointing to look at: shifted and pulled fabric in places (but not as many as I remembered); stains (from coffee? The dog?); pencil marks; and the White Whale designation. I decided it was going to be the cutest/prettiest "Car Quilt" ever! It would live in the back of my car & be used for travel emergencies (puking kids, picnics, tire changing, wrapping up sick pets).
Into the washer it went as I was starting dinner that evening. Before I dried it, I took it outside to see if the stains came out, and if any of the fabrics had bled. I could not find any of the stains. No bleeding. And all the pencil lines had disappeared! This quilt was looking better! I popped it into the dryer.
I don't know what magic happened in my dryer, but the quilt I took out of it did not resemble the quilt I put in it! Gone were the terribly distorted areas and weird vines and instead, a decent quilt that looked pretty good. The washing/drying had scrunched up the fabric enough to hide most of the problems. It will never win any prizes, but it is not the monstrosity I thought it was! And it will not be a car quilt!
I don't know what magic happened in my dryer, but the quilt I took out of it did not resemble the quilt I put in it! Gone were the terribly distorted areas and weird vines and instead, a decent quilt that looked pretty good. The washing/drying had scrunched up the fabric enough to hide most of the problems. It will never win any prizes, but it is not the monstrosity I thought it was! And it will not be a car quilt!
Perceived importance, history and tunnel-vision all overtook me and made this quilt so much more than it ever was. My White Whale. I should have enjoyed making it and instead, it became an obsession to complete. It's just a quilt. And, it turns out, a pretty good one at that!