Done Deal

This was pretty much my view for the past several evenings.

Let me just say that straight(ish) line quilting a bed size quilt on a home machine is not the easiest thing in the world to do.

I was sweating and using questionable language at certain points in the process. It was a workout!

And there are more puckers than I care to admit. But I will - to show you one of my favorite things about imperfect quilting.

And that thing is: there are an astonishing number of imperfections that wash out! By that I mean, many (if not most) of the mistakes/imperfections/screw-ups-that-I-don't-bother-to-remove all but disappear once the quilt has been washed and dried. There is nothing better than a new quilt fresh from the dryer in all it's crinkly goodness.

Here's one of the worst sections of puckers in my quilting before washing:

I mean, the fabric was so loose that I actually had to fold it over in spots. It's practically pleated! And of course it happened on a geometric print so it's totally obvious.

Note to self: be a little more generous with your basting spray and a lot more diligent about getting the creases out of the batting.

Here's the same section of the quilt after being washed and dried:

It's not like the puckers completely disappeared but they sure aren't as noticeable as they were before.

This was a very challenging project for me and I'm very happy with the results, even if every little thing isn't "perfect."

Bailey loves her "big girl" quilt. And yes, I know I'm insane for giving my 3 year old a quilt with so much white.

Here it is in all it's crinkly glory - good thing my hubs is so tall!

And this is by far my favorite quilt back that I've ever done. I may even like it more than the front.

And you want to know something?

There are quite a few puckers on the back as well!

My lesson learned is to not be overly critical of my sewing or quilting. I'm having fun and learning and creating. If I let myself get bogged down in seeking perfection it will make me too intimidated to try new things or ever get anything finished. For now, I'm thrilled to be getting projects DONE and into the hands of people who will love them.

And I can't wait to see what's next!