Friendship Braid Quilt Complete

You might remember that I asked your advice several times about my Friendship Braid  quilt – what colour to do the border when there were so many different colours in the centre, whether I could (or should) use a vintage sheet for the border and possibly the backing and whether or not to use a professional quilting service for the first time.

As usual, I canvassed opinion and then wilfully ignored most of it.  I ended up going for a green and white gingham vintage sheet for the border whereas most of you suggested red and, having got your reassurance that I could probably use a sheet for the backing too, changed my mind and went for extra wide quilting cotton.

It was whilst searching for extra wide backing that I came across The Quilt Sandwich who have a wide range of backings in lots of different designs and at reasonable prices.  I also found, coincidentally, that they have a longarm quilting machine and offer a quilting service.

It was meant to be.

Fiona operates from The Royal Bridlington Hotel in Yorkshire and was very helpful when I asked for her advice on the particular shade of green for the backing and also for which quilting design to go for on a top with an already busy design.

 Once Fiona had received the quilt and could confirm that the shade of green matched those in the quilt I opted for a crosshatch patterned fabric and the quilting design I chose, again with Fiona’s guidance, is called ‘Twine’.

This is how it came back to me after quilting.  I wanted to ‘reconnect’ with it again myself so, although Fiona offers a binding service, I just asked her to cut it for me ready for binding and did it myself.

I decided to heed the advice I ignored last time and introduced some red.  It was supposed to be wider than this but I attached the double fold binding  by machine, as I would  have if I’d left some excess batting and backing – ie. with a 1/4 inch seam – and then realised I wouldn’t have had any filling in my binding.  Of course, with a wide border like this I should have attached the binding at half an inch and then taken in the batting and backing as it had been trimmed.  I’m so used to working with blocks lately that go right up to the edge that I’d forgotten.

So, I just folded the binding onto itself and then over to the back before handstitching it down which resulted in a skimpier binding than I’d intended but at least it wasn’t all floppy.  It did compromise my previously perfect  acceptable mitred corners a bit but it doesn’t really show.

What do you think?

Here’s the back in all it’s professionally quilted glory.

It’s a strange size at  60 x 66 inches (172 x 187 cm) so a topper for a small double bed or a generous single bed size.  The only single sized bed in the house is in the Bermuda Triangle otherwise known as Mlle. Tialys the Younger’s bedroom and, once it goes in there, I might never see it again.

So before it disappears from my life until at least the next re-decoration project I have flung it over a couple of surfaces so that I can at least look at the photos.

Funny lighting but it really shows the quilting up.

 

I thought long and hard about using a professional quilting service because I wondered whether it was ‘cheating’ on some sort of level.  Realistically, my skills – such as they are – are definitely in piecing and although I will continue doing quilt as you go where the quilt design allows and perhaps the smaller (much smaller) quilting projects, Fiona has done such a good job and the price was so reasonable that I would certainly go back to her if and when I make another large quilt that doesn’t lend itself to QAYG.  After all, I reasoned, if I had the space and the money for a longarm quilting machine and the patience to learn how to use one, or if I had a friend just down the road who had one, I would never ever quilt on a domestic machine again so what’s the difference?  It’s also something I’ve wanted to try and I’m very pleased I did.

If you are in the U.K. – or in France with a commuting husband willing to drag quilt tops and then completed quilts back and forth with him – or you just want to see a really good range of extra wide backings, go and have a look at Fiona’s site here .