Last winter I retrieved a "never finished" quilt top from the year before, fixed some piecing errors, added a border and skipped anything more I had planned. I wanted it DONE, kept it simple, layered it, and quilted it. I pride myself on no UFO's.
The quilting was a chore. The fabrics fought me. The metallic/silk thread sounded bad when I quilted and did strange things right before my eyes. It was distracting and I didn't enjoy it. The background fabric with tiny piecing added huge knots of seams underneath. The sewing machine broke, a spring fell out as it tried to get over the lumps. I kept quilting. I didn't need the presser lifter, I had the knee one to use. The lever kept falling off and landing on my quilt. I kept going, I wanted this thing DONE.
Knowing it already had problems, I spent way too much time quilting it.
After it was finished and I dipped and swirled it in tepid clear water to remove marking, I had more problems with a hand dyed fabric that bled. Then there were some skewed tiny triangle pieces from the quilting process so tips went in all directions. Generally I thought it was not the best, would keep it for a class sample maybe. I haven't even given it a name. It is a Delectable Mountains pattern, about 43" square. Detail of quilting, below, and from the back.
Last week while doing some photography I needed a warm neutral backdrop, and saw the back of this quilt rolled up in the corner on the floor, in total rejection. I picked it up, pinned it to the wall, backside showing.
I was so taken aback! I love the back as a wholecloth and I have left it hanging on my wall and enjoy it so much.... from the back. I think this fabric might work for a wholecloth design and might give that a try on another quilt.
Meanwhile I'll enjoy the lumps and bumps of thread here and there on the back, lots of traveling where the thread build-up is a bit much, but the look of it is very pleasing. Somehow the feather fronds look so elegant "in reverse."
Lesson: Try to make the back look as good as you can. You never know when it will be the front!
Hope your Monday brings you a tiny bit of quilting time, and maybe some fresh veggies.
Diane
Oliver was actually yawning here, after I woke him for his birthday photo, but he does look extra fierce!
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