As you may know, I have a closet full of tops just waiting to be quilted. As you don't know, and I didn't either until this week, I also have an office that was apparently built on an iceberg. It's really cold in there, and I'm told it will be until they turn the heat on sometime in mid-November. Put the two of these things together and what do you get?
Here is the quilt I finished up this week to take to my office for when the cold gets to be too much:
Well, the students will have to fight me for it, don't you think?
In truth, I made this quilt in 2017 and it's all leftover bits and scrap pieces. Even the binding came from the basket of bindings made from leftovers. I kind of always had it in my head that it was going to the office, too. And just wait until you see what I did on the back:
Yep, that is some Cuddle fabric, also known as Minky. Not sure which brand this is since I've had it for a long time. It is so soft and very cuddly. And nice and warm, too.
The backing was not as hard to work with as anticipated. There were just three things that gave me a bit of trouble. First, there was the fuzz. Yes, it shed quite a bit. Dark blue bits everywhere. Also, stitching this absolutely ruined the needle. By the end I could actually hear it going through the fabric. I almost changed the needle but I didn't want to ruin a second one.
The third thing that was a problem was the basting. I don't use the spray stuff, and it was hard for me to get the tension taut enough all over the backing piece. The Minky is a bit stretchy. Also, it didn't hold the thread (for basting) very well. If I were to use it again, I might go for the basting spray. I think that would hold it a bit better.
The quilting itself on the backing was no problem. It went through the machine just fine and was no worse than any other backing. I got one small tuck in the backing while quilting, but it's so forgiving that I can't even see it unless I look for it. The tuck is in the picture above, but even I can't see it now, and I know where it is.
I did use batting in the quilt, which makes it just a little heavy with this backing. I don't think I would use it in a larger quilt. This one is just 42 by 52, which will be perfect for the office, and the weight is not that bad. I used a walking foot to quilt it and kept large open areas, mainly to keep it cuddly, but also so that it didn't get heavier. And if you are a fan of a Hera marker, it works great with the Minky backing. I quilted this with a variegated yellow thread, though you can barely tell that there's any variegation in it at all. I wouldn't get the variegated yellow again.
So there's another one out of the closet and put to use! I'm really, really happy about that, and I'm looking forward to being just a bit warmer in the office. It's a really old building, and it only has single pane windows, which are huge and look pretty but haven't really done well with the wind.
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I am planning an overdue trip to Target, and we'll probably go out for some lunch or something. For once we really don't have a plan, but that can be nice, you know? Oh, and I should have mentioned that all of these pictures were taken on our property, too. There is a lot of work to do here, but the trees are pretty, aren't they?
Sharing at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Finished or not Friday, and TGIFF.
15 comments:
What a great finish. A very usable quilt. The kinky has its place for a warm and cuddly quilt. I will be using polar fleece on the back of the next 4 quilts I make. Polar fleece is like sweater fabric.
I love blue and yellow together. Congrats on taking a step toward keeping you warm while you work:)
It perfect - the warm fabric on the back will be awesome when your on the iceberg! I bet you have to fight to keep it too! haha
Well, if you need a quilt in your office, this looks like the perfect one! Bright and happy on the front and soft and cozy on the back. But no heat until the middle of November - brrrr!
I could just crawl through the computer screen to wrap up in that sunny and warm-looking quilt! It’s beautiful! I sewed my first six quilts for my grandkids, and they all had Minky backings. That’s when I still got down on the floor to baste them with painters’ tape. Never had a problem, even as an unseasoned (but maybe lucky) beginner. After that, cotton backings have been a breeze. Oh sorry, I shouldn’t have said the “b” word (breeze) given that some officials in your area don’t seem to realize that it gets cold in October. :-)
Perfect solution to a cold office! Mid-November seems a little late to turn on the heat! You’ll be all the envy! You’ll have to keep a close eye on it!
How blessed you are to be able to cuddle with such a cozy quilt at work! :)
I love blue and yellow together! Congrats on getting this pretty quilt finished and putting it to use in your office :)
Love those blues and yellows!!!! Very nice quilt for work! BUT for me it was fans as I am so hot natured! Think I should have been born in PA where my ancestors came from instead of hot hot South Texas!
Very pretty quilt!
Cutting Cuddle or Minky does produce lots of fuzz. I've learned to pop it in the dryer after I cut it and all the fuzz goes away. When I have used Minky and quilted on my DSM, I don't put any tension on the Minky at all, just lay it out flat and put my quilt top over it and use pins. I prefer to use my longarm with any quilting but it is 750 miles away from me at this time so I don't have a choice!! I've never had it dull my needles though...that's weird. Love your quilt and it will definitely keep you warm at the office!!
Perfect item for a chilly office. My daughter says she has slippers at her office, along with a sweater and other cold weather attire because the a/c is so high. You're going to love that cuddle backing!
There is a plastic film that you can get for old windows as an interior "liner" that fastens in with double sided tape and then you use a hair dryer to shrink the film to fit so it is clear and wrinkle free. Would they let you use that to help keep the warm in and the breezes out? Just a thought. I cannot recall the name of this product. Love your quilt! It should help! Would they let you use a space heater or would that be against code?
This will be so cozy in your office. I’m sympathizing with you, though on the office temp. No heat until mid Novrmber? Harsh! Sounds like your windows might want quilts, too, but that would spoil your view. I’m picturing a big pile of quilts in the corner for students to grab when they come in—or they might ask you to teach them to quilt!
Hooray for a WARM and scrappy finish!!!
Congrats on a beautiful finish. Love the blue and yellow color combo. I can sympathize on the need for a quilt in your office. My office is in the oldest building on the site and the hvac system isn't great. So I have a throw that I keep in the file cabinet for those colder winter days. Hope your new finish helps keep you toasty till the heats on.
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