My Two Cents

 So I was a total slacker and didn't finish my kid's quilt by Christmas. But I did finish it before they went back to school (thankfully there was two snow days prolonging school starting). My excuse? Well, I have many of them. December was just a nightmare in and of itself. But mainly, it turns out, I hate the method I chose to quilt this quilt. 

 Therefore, it just sat partially done on my design wall (once the batting was on the back, it wouldn't stay on my design wall, too heavy). I decided to try QAYG (quilt as you go) for this one. I figured it was a bigger quilt and I wanted to get it done fast. Yeah. 

I had read so many good things about this quilting method! And in my non-functioning-metabolism, high-cholesterol-addled brain it played out like a great idea. I'd try some FMQ on all the blocks, then put the thing together and BAM, done. 

Didn't quite go like that. This took FOREVER! But, I learned a few things, like:

• The reason I don't have any art on any walls in my house is because I get really sick of seeing the same thing after 30 days. Let's blame that on the ADD.
• QAYG seems to have more steps. So I made my blocks and instead of just sewing them together, then sandwiching and quilting; I'm cutting each batting piece, basting that to each block, quilting each block, then in the end, still basting the whole entire backing onto the dang front of the dang quilt and quilting the damn back on anyway!! I'm still wrestling the entire quilt in my tiny machine so I can quilt the back onto the front. WTH?
• My accuracy in piecing the blocks together with batting on the back of them was greatly reduced. This was perhaps due to the fact that I couldn't iron any of them because even though I used Warm and Natural, there was still some sort of film that melted onto my iron. Fun times. 
• I suck at most FMQ patterns. I'm decent at a couple, like hearts, clouds and square-y things. I rock at loops-de-loos and chrysanthemums. Also, I tend to forget to lower my feed dogs. But apparently my feed dogs kinda blow because half the time I couldn't even tell the were up until I went to sew a seam and was like, "Oops." 
• My 14yo boy doesn't necessarily want flowers and hearts all over his quilt....
• I had more in my head, but I can't remember and just recalling this is making me a bit cranky. 

All in all, this is not a method I will be using again any time soon. I do see the value of it, but it ain't for me. I think I'll stick with good, old tradition. 

Now onto something a bit more fun!!

Like it or not, 

Jenn