PIGS: a Hybrid Quilting Project with Free Motion Quilting | McCall’s Quilting Blog

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PIGS (Projects in Grocery Sacks) accumulate way too quickly at my house. I try to finish one PIG every month but have lately come to realize that I am falling further and further behind.  I’m going to start trying to finish two every month for a while.

But right now, it’s nearly the end of April and I don’t have a PIG done for the month.

A while back we cleaned, sorted and reorganized several areas in our office. At the end of the cleanup project, all of us got together and took home those things we wanted. Now you’d think that I would have been smart enough to leave the PIGS for someone else since I have so many but no … I took home three PIGS. I finished two of them right away but the third just sat there.

I’m guessing this PIG was a lesson on applique and reverse applique for one of the magazines. Whoever started the project carefully cut the applique so they could use the part they cut away for a matching reverse applique piece. It’s a really fun idea. If you’d like to try something similar, check out the Applique Techniques ebook at QuiltandSewShop.com

April’s PIGS Project

I stitched around the applique and reverse applique by machine with a narrow blanket stitch and then cut the applique piece in quarters. I added those sections to the reverse applique center with a bright yellow print from my Fabric Inventory for a wide border.

 

 

 

Feed dog driven 300x225 PIGS: April’s PIG   a Hybrid with Free Motion Quilting, Feed Dog Driven Quilting and Long Arm Quilting

The Feed Dog Driven Quilting

 

Then I made my quilt sandwich, pin-basted it and started quilting. I did an outline stitch and echo quilting for the center (feed dog driven on my domestic machine). Everything was going well.

 

 

spirals 300x225 PIGS: April’s PIG   a Hybrid with Free Motion Quilting, Feed Dog Driven Quilting and Long Arm Quilting

Little Tiny Spirals

 

But not for long. In the bright yellow sections of the border, I decided to use the print as a guide. Bad idea! In this particular print, the largest of the little spirals measures only ¾” on the outside. What in the world was I thinking!!!! I quilted (free-motion quilting, again on my domestic machine) for a long time to get just this much done. I got discouraged and put it away. It was a PIG again.

One of the things I often tell people about PIGS is to evaluate them. Ask “Is there is a problem that caused this particular project to become a PIG?” Then determine if there is a remedy for that problem.

With this PIG the problem is that the quilting is taking too long. If I change the quilting plan, it’s doable.

loaded 300x234 PIGS: April’s PIG   a Hybrid with Free Motion Quilting, Feed Dog Driven Quilting and Long Arm Quilting

Loaded and Ready to Quilt

I decided to load my partially quilted project on the frame and quilt medium-sized and large spirals with the Handi Quilter Avante – a long arm quilting machine that is in our sewing studio at work. I had to experiment a little in order to get the quilt on the frame since it is partially quilted but I did figure it out.

 

Spirals 300x225 PIGS: April’s PIG   a Hybrid with Free Motion Quilting, Feed Dog Driven Quilting and Long Arm Quilting

Spirals?? Maybe Not!

 

Then I tried quilting spirals. I really, really couldn’t do them nicely. I’m not willing to mess up this little quilt with spirals that don’t look like spirals.So I am doing straight lines and I like it.

 

straight lines 300x259 PIGS: April’s PIG   a Hybrid with Free Motion Quilting, Feed Dog Driven Quilting and Long Arm Quilting

Straight Lines – BETTER!

 

 

Since I will only quilt a couple of hours a day at work, it will be later this week sometime before this quilt is quilted. I’ll share a photo when it’s done.

I’m not sure what this will be when it is finished. I think I’ll have too much quilting for it to be a cuddly baby quilt so I guess it will be a table topper or wall hanging. But the best part will be that it is done.

Until next time, happy quilting!

 

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