Modern Mystery Quilt 2012

? MODERN MYSTERY QUILT 

by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr

In 2012 I made the top and the bottom of this quilt.  One side was the modern mystery and the other side was Storm at Sea.  This quilt was a UFO because I had trouble getting the two sides together.  I added a burgundy Damask border to the Storm at Sea side.  The border was over sized to facilitate sandwiching.  I always have an extra 2 to 6 inch on the backing and then cut of the excess.  I had in my mind that Modern Quilts were often solids.  My brother had given my sister-in-law's stash to my sister and I.  Among the fabric was a bunch of solids.  Someone told me that she used this fabric to make flags.  I remember a time when people commonly displayed flags/banners/pennants outside their houses.  This fabric is heavy like denim or canvas and I wonder if it is water resistant.   I measured the sides, top and bottom and cut them accordingly.  The Damask is just a regular cotton and the print is also a regular cotton.  The Damask looked rippled...almost gathered.  It was not right and I was not sure what I could do to improve the situation so there it sat in the UFO piled.  I decided to tackle the problem and right or wrong do something.  Plus I wanted a quilt to practice my machine quilting.  I took the border off and starched it and rechecked the measurements. They seemed OK so I just reattached them.  They still rippled but less so.  I sandwiched it by basting with water soluble thread.  

 Modern Mystery Side

Storm at Sea 

When I made the Rami Kim Quilt I used circular spiral quilting.  I had seen an episode on theQuiltShow.com and decided I would try it.  I really liked the result.  It dawned on me that I had taken a Craftsy class so I reviewed the course Next Steps With Your Walking Foot with Jacquie Gering and decided to try a diamond spiral pattern.  I used a 35 weight polyester Superior Variegated Thread.  

I was at home and my Bernina was at my mother's so I quilted it on my Tiara using my echo-foot.

 I have done very little on the Tiara and was thrilled that I had the opportunity so to do.  My quilting is pretty wobbly and my stitch lengths vary quite a bit but it was great practice.  I really love the result.  To do the diamond spiral one is supposed to mark a vertical and horizontal center.  I decided to forgo that and just use seam lines.  Where there was an expanse with no marking a drew a shot line or a dot.

My quilting rulers were at mom's so to assist with my stitching I grabbed my blade sharpener that was thick enough to serve as a guide.  I would lay it on the previous stitching line and run the echo foot up against it.  I was wishing I had my Line Tamer ruler.

Then on to the binding.  I started to hand sew the binding but this fabric is so heavy.   I remembered from a class I took on machine quilting.  She uses a double buttonhole machine stitch to attach her bindings.  I decided that I would try that.  I quite like the result.

I used these settings on my Bernina.  

And a 20D foot.  I figued out that if I allign the stitching line on the left inside foot that the stitching will line up nicely on the other side.

I had trouble at the corners.  I had to muscle it about to get it to continue stitching.  I wonder if it was hanging up on the even feed somehow.  I just could not figure out what the problem was.  I had no problem turning the corner but after I turned the feed dogs did not advance the quilt.  Binding a quilt takes me days by hand.  Doing this by machine I think made the binding secure.  I decided that this quilt needs to be a picnic quilt or a beach rug or something for the family pet to use.  I am thrilled that it is done.  This quilt is definitely a two sided quilt.  The quilting complements both sides equally well.  I did not look at the Modern Quilt Side until it was done.  I was well pleased.  Now on to the next unfinished project.