Although by then I was due for something to go right as originally I had chosen the wrong backing fabric and batting and as soon as I began stitching in the ditch I knew I should stop and re-evaluate. But did I? No.
And so once I did decide that the quilting was all wrong I had a lot of unpicking to do. Fortunately I had used a large stitch and by going carefully and only from the back it only took one day to unpick entirely. Another day to re-baste (with extra basting stitches this time.) And on the third day I was happily quilting again after re-thinking the quilting pattern as well.
I am much, much happier with the result now and am so glad I took two tortuous days to unpick and re-baste. Thank heavens for holiday weekends.
This week I put the binding on and, trying something different this time, I sewed it on the back and turned it on to the front where I finished it with a decorative stitch. Number 131 on my Bernina machine.
I am very pleased with the results and am looking forward to getting it up on the wall later this afternoon after I deal with the last of those stray thread ends.
Next I will finish the matching cushions that I began because I love this pattern so much that I had to make extra. The bonus was that I had something to practice my free motion quilting on before tackling the quilt. I pinned them to a quilt already hanging on the wall just to see what detail I'd be able to see with each different thread I was deciding between. The quilt police will probably slap my wrists for risking pin marks on the other quilt. Oh well!
Kit for Charleston Girls quilt originally purchased as a block of the month a couple of years ago from Catharina's Country Collection www.cccpatchwork.com.au
