Tuesday, December 03, 2013

plugging away

This has been my view for the past several days. Quilting a king size quilt on your home machine might not be the smartest thing to do, but it IS feasible.
I keep thinking what a great upper body work out it must be wrestling this monster for hours a day. Ha! I'm hoping to knock out the rest of the quilting in the next few days.
That poor spool of thread was no match for this quilt.
I took some time out this morning to piece a scrappy binding. It's going to look fantastic!
 
This probably goes without saying, but I can't wait until this quilt is DONE!

56 comments:

Julie L said...

Wow. I was just complaining about doing a 63-in square picnic quilt on my machine!!! You are WOMAN!!!

Julie L said...

Wow. I was just complaining about doing a 63-in square picnic quilt on my machine!!! You are WOMAN!!!

Georgi said...

Can't wait to see it finished ~ it's gonna be awesome!!

AnnieQuilts said...

This week I started longarm quilting my first king size. You're way ahead of me.

Love all the colors in your quilt!

deebriese said...

Very pretty! I notice you have a Janome now do you still use your Juki?

Pat said...

Wow! I have a Janome but I wouldn't want to try that size quilt. I'm not even sure I'd want to put the binding on it!!

Paula said...

This weekend I'll start quilting my first actual twin sized quilt (I made an 'almost' twin sized one recently). But the throat on my machine is tiny tiny ... it's a great machine but when I bought it I didn't know about such things as needing a large throat space! :-)

Jocelyn said...

Wow, what an undertaking!! The hardest thing for me is keeping the back smooth through out the quilting. How do you keep that from happening on these large quilts? I hate for there to be little bunches here and there on the back.

Em said...

I'd love to see a post on the logistics of wrestling a king sized quilt through your home machine. I honestly don't know if it would be possible!

Anonymous said...

Seriously impressive! I don't think I'd ever dream of tacking such a task! Can't wait to see the finished work =)

Kay said...

Good luck. Love the scrappy binding, it is my favourite kind.

Unknown said...

Seeing your quilt got me so excited! I've been working on a crazy quilt piece of fabric all holiday weekend using 1 1/2 squares of fabric.

This is my first time doing this with so much non coordinated lines of fabric. What a challenge but fun!!!

I first tried to organize them individually but that became overwhelming. Then I remembered your technique of sewing together pairs and then pairing up the pairs and then pairing up the blocks and so on and so forth. That made it so much easier.

Even more exciting is we have some of the same fabrics in our quilt....it's the SR Harris influence! :-)

Svetlana said...

Can't wait to see it all quilted and bound. It's going to be one totally amazing quilt.

Jenny L said...

I have this same machine and it is brilliant for quilting large quilts. That 11" arm makes all the difference doesn't it. This is so colourful and jolly, I love it.

Kar said...

I know what you are talking about. I just finished a king size quilt for my bed and quilted it on my machine. But boy is it worth it to be able to throw it into the washer immediately, dry it and put it on your bed. Awesome! :)

Laura said...

The binding looks fantabulous! Love your comment about getting the upper body workout. I've never quilted a king-size, but that's how I feel when I'm wrestling a quilt through my Bernina. Still, I love the process.

carol said...

All I can say is, "Bravo to you, girl". Amazing!

Unknown said...

You truly are a "Crazy Mom." Can't wait to see the finished product!

Suzanne said...

I have been knee deep in Christmas cards and decorating so your photos really hit the spot. I hope you are enjoying this form of wrestling. I know you will come out a winner in the match.

Erin @ Why Not Sew? Quilts said...

it's going to be gorgeous!

karen said...

Just thinking about it makes me tired. It's about time for me to move my machine to a large table and begin quilting this year's gift quilts. But I'm sure I make it harder on myself, because I prefer a midloft batt and straight-line quilting with a walking foot.

Jane's Fabrics and Quilts said...

I wish I could machine quilt but I only hand quilt. It is going to be stunning, love, love the binding!

Becki said...

Can't wait to see the finished quilt. I love scrappy bindings!!!

Unknown said...

That binding will look awesome on that already awesome quilt! I've currently got a slightly larger than queen size on the bed of my Juki and have done king size quilts. I've got some fairly impressive arm muscles for a middle-age plus girl, if I do say so myself. I definitely owe them to quilting:)

Susie said...

It all looks amazing

Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation said...

It's going to be gorgeous! I love the satisfaction that comes with quilting a large quilt on my home machine. A quilt that large means more work with every single step of the quilting process, but it is so worth it!

:) Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation

Carie @ Space for the Butterflies said...

I've quilted all of mine on my little Brother at home; it is a massive upper body workout but it's worth it. It's also worth filling several bobbins with thread because you just know it's going to run out when you're in the middle!

Mary on Lake Pulaski said...

GO, GO, GO Amanda Jean! Love the scrappy binding = perfect!

Pickletoes Quilts said...

I'm so impressed! That is quite a feat!

Sewing In CT said...

I call it Quilt Wrangling and think it should be an Olympic Sport!

Unknown said...

Wonder woman! I can't wait to see the finish king size quilt. :)

Judy said...

Good luck! I have quilted an 120 inch quilt on my domestic Bernina. It was a bear but worth it!

Carla said...

It is going to be so awesome...but now I know how you got your blog name!! Crazy!

ChristaQuilts said...

I just love that you are quilting a king size on your home machine! Proof that is can be done :-)

tahoe34 said...

I start quilting the king size I made for my husband tomorrow. I am blessed to have a Bernina 820 which has a huge throat...but my arms still ache just thinking about it!!! Great job Amanda Jean!!

Susan at TheBoredZombie.com said...

heh - I'm totally going to do my king size on a domestic, even though a certain machine sales lady sneered at me and said... if you want to quilt king size quilts, you need a long arm, period.

Well, I don't have one of her machines and I intend to give it a whirl myself! Glad to see you've been successful. :)

phxquilt said...

Done is my FAVORITE 4-letter word!!! :-)

Unknown said...

You are an inspiration!
:)
~susannevb

Jess said...

I was wondering if you were going to quilt it yourself or send it out. I'm a longarm quilter and we quilt for a lot of people who quilt their own smaller quilts but when it comes to the kings and queens, we get them. I have some fantastic designs for modern quilts or fun ones to, like guitars, crowns, surf boards...

Can't wait to see the finished product! Jess

http://thankfullga447 said...

King size quilt is no fun on the sewing machine, been there. The quilt is beautiful and so is the binding. I ended doing some of it by hand quilting. I don't think I will ever do one that big again.

The best part is you completed a task and that is very rewarding.

Nicole J said...

I have been having the same feeling about the double bed sized quilt I am working on, but a king? Wow.

Cheryl Arkison said...

When did you get the Janome? I'm shocked you aren't doing this on the Juki.

karen said...

Yes you must be crazy to tackle a king size on your machine! My neck & shoulders hurt just thinking about it. It looks like a beautiful quilt.

margaret said...

certainly you have raised lots of comments on what a mammoth task you are undertaking, still to have a go at machine quilting but it will be on some thing very small! Wow even your binding is made from scraps, all wonderful

elizabeth said...

wow! i am nervous quilting a crib quilt!!! I love the quilt and am excited to see that binding--it looks fab! Thanks for all your inspiration!

Cascade Quilts said...

wow, you are a BRAVE woman to quilt a king size on a sewing machine! (or is that CRAZY woman?) hehe :) You need a longarm as much as I do! If only I had the money and a room to put one in! Question: how did you BASTE a king sized quilt!?!

LeeH said...

I've done a queen size, what a job! but it can be done. That roll of binding is lovely. I find that the best, most fun part.. sewing on binding and then finishing it up by hand. I just love that

Ina said...

DANG! You're gonna need a massage after quilting that beast! ;p

Can't wait to see the entire quilt.

Becky Arnold said...

What a beautiful quilt! I love it!

Live a Colorful Life said...

This IS going to be spectacular! Can hardly wait to see it in all its completed greatness.

Kim A said...

I love this quilt and the scrappy binding is perfect!

Janet said...

I quilt my projects on my Bernina 440. You inspire me to continue on quilting on my own machine. I thank you for that. I admit that I do have times when I have thoughts about sending the top out to be long-armed quilted like so many other quilters.

When I do my quilting, I set up a table to the left and to the right of my sewing machine. I also have space behind the machine and add support in front of the machine so the project has support from all sides.

Unknown said...

Love the scrappy quilt. So cute and great that you used all your scraps. The binding is going to be cute. Machine quilt a "king" wow.

KWILEY said...

I see you are quilting on your Janome - is there a reason you chose that over your juki? Does one have a larger throat area.

Rita@PinPrickedFingers.com said...

I'm a new quilter and I've done 3 king quilts and a Queen on my domestic. All of these were started (and a couple finished) before I read blogs and found out most people don't do those sizes on domestics. Ignorance is bliss! My small projects are a breeze now!

Cara said...

This quilt looks AWESOME. I can't to see the finished product! You make pretty things. :)