Wednesday 12 November 2008

Zigzag heaven or hell?

I have been sewing the minibeasts onto the Learning at Work Day quilt, and it hasn't been all plain sailing. I'm more of a needleturn girl myself, but didn't feel that I wanted to needleturn minibeasts of others' making for a Linus quilt!

On the plus side, it has been a quick and easy way to fix the beasts to the background.

It's also been a good opportunity for fun with all the variegated threads I have succumbed to buying, and then never used.


On the minus side, the fabrics have frayed a bit, and there are lots of threads to cut off (although they make the legs of some beasts look authentically hairy!).


But the biggest problem has been thread tension. The fabric I used for the sky wasn't particularly good quality - it was the biggest piece of blue I could find at the time, and I wish I had sewed some better quality pieces together instead. Even though I used Vilene at the back to stabilise it, the letters in particular are quite puckered. I reduced my thread tension and increased my stictch length for the rest of the applique, which has made it much better.

You can see the problem here, although it looks better in this picture than it looks in actuality.

The question is, do I unpick the letters and resew them, or just keep my fingers crossed that it will 'quilt out'? Your opinion please.

4 comments:

Sew Create It - Jane said...

Hopefully I'll get to see this up close and in personal tonight...from here I'd say that it looks ok and it probably will quilt out...but can I reserve finally judgment til I see it tonight? ;o)

Tonya Ricucci said...

I vote for: it'll quilt out, esp if it's a quilt made to be used and loved on not displayed as art. looks fun!

Fiona said...

It'll quilt out - have faith! (I only say this because personally I am far too lazy to unpick anything).

Gina said...

It should quilt out. I've had problems like that before and it all quilted out.
Love the mini beasts and variegated threads are gorgeous when used for zig zagging aren't they.

Love and hugs Gina xxx