Well, when I thought I was finished but short, I took it off the table and turned it over, oh my gosh, not just a few puckers, but now I had pleats! Careless, ??? not concentrating ???? Disaster! The top and batting are all OK (flat), sooooo, gathering my patience, taking a deep breath, I removed all the pins from the front, laid the mess backing/puckered side up on the table and pulled off the well-stuck basting spray, a little at a time, starting at the top and slowly smooshing out the puckers. A yardstick stuck between layers helped to unstick a few inches at a time - laborious! Then I found my long needle and thread and thimble, and hand basted it all over again. No wonder my backing seemed short, I had INCHES of fabric puckered in the back. LIVE AND LEARN. Never again will I use both basting spray and pins. It didn't help when my last thimble dropped to the floor and rolled somewhere under DH's Lazy Boy and found it's forever home wedged within the under structure of the chair.
Ok, basting is done by hand sewing and this was successful. Here's the back - you see I had already spent a lot of effort making the backing. Hey, that's 6 yards of stash!
I am hoping to try some ruler work on this Bonnie Hunter inspiration. BTW, this top front was made from the same "gift of scraps" from my LQS. There are 5 projects made from that box.
And here is another project from that box of scraps. 8-))) I may make an alternate block, ala Hugs and Kisses, Gyleen X. Fitzgerald. 16 regular pineapple blocks made today. I added the white fabric.
I like your Pineapple blocks. I have Gyleen Fitzgerald's ruler but have only made one block so far -- just to learn how to use it. I'm hoping to run my smaller scraps through my 1.5" strip die and then use them for blocks like these.
ReplyDeleteYikes Elaine, you dodged a bullet! It's a good thing that the backing came up short --- imagine if it hadn't and unbenownst to you, you STILL had the pleats and had started quilting it. Glad you could regroup and keep it moving. Love both the pieced back and front!
ReplyDeleteLove the pineapples. Glad everything worked out in the end.
ReplyDeleteI too used to hate basting, but ever since I started using spray basting, it has been so much easier. I do mine on an old carpet on the floor, and it works great. The carpet holds the bottom fabric in place so there is usually no puckers to deal with.
ReplyDeleteGood thing you were able to see the backing issue before it would have required unquilting! But what a pain. :(
ReplyDeleteIt is a lovely quilt, and I admire your patience in making that backing.
Great pineapple blocks!
What long needle do you use and thread for your basting?
ReplyDelete