Hold Tight Sew Along Week 3, Quilt As You Go and Finishing
I’m a little late posting Week 3 of our Hold Tight Quilt Petit Sewalong, but hopefully you are working on your quilts and were able to catch my FB Live last week. How is it going? Last week was all about sewing curves. This week is about finishing and quilting. Or, quilt-as-you-go, to be exact.We’ve really covered quite a few things in this project, and over a short period of time too!
Hold Tight Quilt Week 3
As I explained in my Live stream, I have never done quilt-as-you-go, but was ready to give it a try with this project. (You can get read Sharon’s instructions in her blog post.) The entire quilt is assembled using the quilt-as-you-go method (explained in both Sharon’s blog post and demonstrated in my live stream). I added hand quilting along the perimeter of each balloon, using Perle cotton size 8 thread in several blue and green shades that coordinated with the balloon colors.
Next, to mark where the balloon strings would be added, I used my favorite tool, the hera marker, and a long acrylic ruler to mark creases across the quilt top where the string lines would be stitched. I stitched the strings in a dark blue Perle cotton.
The binding is in the same color and fabric as the background. A sweet bird fabric backs the quilt (upside down here, but you get the idea). In the open space on the bottom right of the quilt top, I added the baby’s name.
And here’s the finished quilt-
I have been stitching this quilt while on the road, and it had been folded for several days. I was able to keep all the colors of Perle cotton thread I used on my Ruby Minder. Would you believe this looked well-pressed before I took it outside to snap these photos?
Pro tip- Don’t shoot images of your quilt outside, where all the wrinkles show!
Sharon, this has been a super fun sew along. Thank you for sharing your expertise and tips and guiding us through this beautiful project. This one is off to a my nephew in anticipation of a new baby in our family in September. I can’t wait! I hope to see it loved and dragged around for a long time to come.
Be sure to add your photos to #holdtightsewalong and share your progress! Check Sharon’s post for tips on making this quilt.
A huge thank you to Sharon for being a Ruby Ambassador and sharing her expertise! Follow along with Sharon on Instagram, and be sure to look for her newest fabric collection for Art Gallery Fabrics, Spirited, coming to shops November 2019.