Friday, January 03, 2014

plain spoken redux

Welcome to the first finish it up Friday of the year!

I'm happy to report that I finished the custom (king size!) quilt last Saturday-a full 3 days ahead of schedule! You can read more about the project here, if you'd like. I think it turned out pretty well!
 



 

I was diligent in tracking my hours for this project and it was quite interesting to see how long each stage took. (It also occurred to me that I saved gobs of time by tracking my hours because I stayed off my phone, Instagram and email while I was working. Hmmmm.)

Doing the math, piecing and cutting: 14 hours 45 minutes
Piecing the back: 1 hour
(It would have been much less if I didn't have to carefully line up the repeat in the print. Do you know how hard it is to find 9 yards of fabric on one bolt in a fabric store? Surprisingly, not very easy!)

Basting: 2 hours
Quilting: 8 hours 20 minutes
Making binding and attaching it by machine: 1 hour 35 minutes
Hand stitching the binding to the back: 6 hours
Labeling: 20 minutes

For a total of 34 hours!!!

edited to add: It has been brought to my attention that my math was wrong...and I originally forgot to list the two hours for basting.  The correct totals are shown above. It adds up to only 34 hours! Not 42 hours. (good grief! apparently all that power quilting has fried my brain!)

The biggest surprise to me was the quilting time. I never-in my wildest dreams- thought I would quilt a king size quilt on my home sewing machine IN ONE DAY! I paid for it physically, though. I was hurting for the next few days. I'm sure you can imagine! (Because I know someone will ask....I quilted it on my JUKI, and no, I don't use a frame.) After a few bobbins-when I was quite comfortable with the quilting pattern-I was able to quilt quite FAST. This pattern seems to turn out better at a faster speed than at a slower speed anyway. Bonus! Also, I may have been a LITTLE determined to get it done. :) Another thing I did to save time was to keep an eye on my bobbin. I switched them out at the ends of the rows before they ran out completely. I didn't have as many knots to bury and that all helps in the end.

This is my largest quilt finish to date. It measures a whopping 100" x 110". I'm so, so happy it's done! It will be a fun one to deliver!

Now it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thanks for joining me for finish it up Friday!

77 comments:

Jessica said...

Wow - this is amazing! Quilting in ONE DAY?!?! My hat is off to you! It's beautiful.

Ashley @ WasntQuiltInADay said...

I'm so interested in tracking the time I spend on my next quilt. Hats off to you for quilting that in a day! I love the FMQing pattern that you chose for this - and I think I'll try it on my next project!

Looks great!

Vera said...

Looks great! Are you going to have button for your linky or is there any?

Kat said...

Beautiful quilt! That backing fabric is perfect, and I really like that quilting pattern. I have tried to do one like that before. Congrats on the lovely finish!

Izzy said...

It's stunning! I love the FMQ you did too. Another amazing finish.

Herding Grasshoppers said...

That is GORGEOUS! (Even without any green ;D)

Julie

tracy_a said...

I absolutely love this quilt! And I am impressed at your time to finish!

a maidenhair fern said...

I made 1 kingsize on my little pfaff, quilting and all, and swore I'd never do it again. But once you've made 1, people find out about it and want you to do more. I have so many restrictions on kingsize quilts now that it almost rules out all requests :)
Congrats on your beautiful finish!

The Slow Quilter said...

That is a great quilt, and I cannot even imagine quilting such a large quilt on a sewing machine. Great job.

pcflamingo said...

Love the quilt AND the quilting pattern! How ambitious to do it on your Juki - I've only ever quilted a twin on my Bernina and felt like I lost a wrestling match afterwards. Really really like that quilting pattern.

Jan said...

I love everything about this quilt. It seems just perfect.

Julie said...

Wow, I'm impressed. Can I ask how you make your quilt labels. They look free hand, but what ink do you use? I have cross stitched some labels, but would like some options.

Brenda said...

Thanks for doing the math and reporting it here. I thought the machine quilting would take longer, but maybe that's because I step away from the machine after a few hours because I find it hard on my back. now you know the answer to that perennial question from non-quilters: how long did that take?

Glinda ♥ said...

Beautiful work! Also love the quilting. Also have a Juki but haven't been brave enough to make a quilt this big on it ... yet?!

The Calico Cat said...

A full bolt of flannel at JoAnns is only 8 yards. Do stores stock more than one bolt? No. So I bought 6 yards & spent far too much time trying to find a suitable "go with" for my final 3 yards.

Cotton Blossom said...

That is gorgeous! What an awesome job! Thanks for the inspiration.

Andrea R said...

I wish I had a finish this week! Or any week out of the last three months. :-/ I haven;t been quilting much.

I did finish a queen size this summer and that was a fun wrestle through the machine.

Sarah Craig said...

Beautiful quilt! I love the colors. And yes, it seems that most stores only stock 7-8 yards on a bolt these days...

Joanie's Trendy Quilts said...

Very attractive quilt! I am surprised that you were able to quilt that king size in 8 hours. I bet you were hurting a couple days afterwards! You certainly have given food for thought about better time management. Great job on a wonderful quilt!

Jehnny said...

Wow that is one big quilt and beautiful too! I can't believe you quilted it all on your home machine!

Lucy | Charm About You said...

So impressive! Love the quilting pattern. I have often wondered what time I actually spend making a quilt but I stop and start so much it seems too much bother to keep a record ;)

Heidi Grohs said...

I find when I take the time to track on a quilt log, I find inordinate amounts of time. I also found this December when I had so many Christmas gift goals that less computer, Fb, IG time really does yeild productive time. I really want to balance it better this year. I was able to do 21 start to finish quilts and 3 bee quilts this past year. I can't imagine how many if I focused on quilting instead of chatting what it would be!!!

Unknown said...

I know you said these colors were out of your comfort zone but honestly the quilt is stunningly beautiful. I love the quilting pattern too. I practiced one quite similar pattern just this past Wednesday on my journey to do at least 180 of Leah Day's 365 patterns in FM quilting.

KWILEY said...

Love it and even the backing has a neat effect with the quilt! Can I ask do you have your juki recessed in a table or does it sit on top of a table? Also can you share how you quilted this - did you do the pattern just across in the rows or did you vary the width as you went across? I am always inspired by your blog and projects!

Becky said...

LOVE how the quilt turned out! I had good intentions and planned to have a finish today, but work and other life events got in the way. Maybe next week!.

Michelle@factotum-of-arts.com said...

Congratulations it is an amazing finish. I love the quilting on it. I liked that you tracked the overall time you spent on the quilt. I think it is a practice I might have to take up :-)

Nicole said...

I cannot believe you made a quilt this size so quickly! Beautiful job Amanda!

RobinSue said...

The quilt looks so warm and inviting. I would love to sleep under it! Glad you shared your time tracking. I've often wondered how long it takes others to make a quilt, particularly the quilting on the home machine. I might just experiment with that idea myself - I usually gauge my time by one hour tv shows.

ChristaQuilts said...

I love how you tracked your time - including the quilting. It really doesn't take that long to quilt them yourself with amazing results.

Nice finish :-)

Michele said...

For all the hours it took, it really turned out fabulous.

Ina said...

Holy cow! It's huge and it's beautiful! I can just imagine the sore muscles after quilting that sucker! ;p

Sharon said...

beautiful! I love that backing fabric, I totally did a double take, it looks so three dimensional

Sonia B said...

Such a beautiful finish. For the quilting pattern, is it easier to move from side to side or up and down? So inspiring, as always.

Suzanne said...

It's really illuminating to see how long it takes to do a project. I wonder if I have the diligence to do that myself. I've often wondered how fast I knit a hat or made something but I have not been able to quantify it so far.

I will state that the quilt looks stunning on your bed. Maybe you should keep it... :-)

Lastly, fantastic job on the piecing for the back and thanks for the tip about ending before needing to switch the bobbin. That does help, doesn't it?

Cristina @ Pretty Little Quilts said...

You did a lovely job. I don't even understand how you could make a quilt that large look so amazing by quilting it on a home machine, but that's one of the mysteries of the universe I guess:) Wonderfully done!!!

Patricia said...

Great Quilt! Nice color scheme and great Free Motion Work. Tracking my time on projects can be depressing on long ones. It's nice to be able to answer the 'would you make me a quilt' question with some valid info. Time x $$ usually doesn't balance. About the fastest I can do a simple crib quilt is 8 - 10 hours. Most people wouldn't pay $100+ and the cost of materials for one.

cindi said...

the quilt is gorgeous. Are you going to offer any tips for the free motion quilting you did? did you start at the top and work down? know they're gonna love it.

Maja said...

Absolutely stunning!!!
That quilt is fantastic!!!

Preeti said...

I read your blog on a regular basis. It is such a treat. And this quilt takes the cake!!! Congratulations.

CapitolaQuilter said...

So at home on the bed, wonderful finish. FMQing my last quilt took a major toll on my body so I feel ya. A king is now officially out of the question for me.

Svarta Malin said...

The quilt is so nice, masculine and pure. Love the quilting, would love a movie showing how you do it!

Katherine said...

I am exceedingly impressed!!! Your work is always impeccable!

Steph Blair said...

42 hours. I think it would take me 42 days!

Jen Crutchfield said...

I love the quilt. It's beautiful.

Anonymous said...

that is absolutely amazing- gorgeous, and completed WAY faster than I would have thought possible! WTG! What a great start to the new year...

Shannon @ Modern Tradition Quilts said...

Wow, that's amazing to quilt that whole thing sitting down on a domestic machine! How on earth did you get it to fit through the neck/harp of the machine? I'm truly impressed.

Katherine said...

Wonderful finish! I love the quilting design you chose for this - suits it perfectly and is really fun combined with your backing fabric. Still in shock that you quilted this behemoth in ONE DAY. You aren't joking that you're CrazyMomQuilts! ;o)
The recipients are going to be totally smitten with this. A great start to the New Year!

Emily said...

You must have super buff arms after wrestling that giganto quilt for 8 hrs! :)

Karen H said...

Fantastic quilt! Is this a pattern that is out there somewhere, or did you just come up with it? Love it!

EagleGrimmis said...

What kind of pen do you use for your label? Do you write fast or slow? With a heavy or a light hand? Everything I've tried so far tends to bleed into the fabric, but yours looks so clean and crisp. Do tell!

S Staum said...

I love how it all came together!! That is a lot of hours of quilting! Good thing you're young!!

RockinHairBabe said...

Amazing! Am I the only one AMAZED at 6 hours to hand stitch the binding on that huge quilt. If you have any tips that you would like to share on that I am eager to learn. I will think I am crusing along and only get about 24 inches done in the hour. I must need practice. Thank you for all of the inspiration!

Karens Quilts, Crows and Cardinals said...

Amandajean this quilt is just beautiful! Fantastic job! And tracking your hours - Wow! Good for you. Love the idea of keeping an eye on the bobbin and minimizing the buries - thanks for the tip.

Georgi said...

Your quilt is gorgeous! Congratulations on quilting this monster :) Love the FMQ design!!

margaret said...

wonderful I can only dream of ever doing something like this. I was fascinated as it looks as though you have quilted 2 designs on the back but only one on the front, am I right and if so how did you do this please?

teaginny said...

this is such an accomplishment, Amanda Jean. I can't imagine making, let alone quilting, such a huge quilt. Way to go!!

AmandaK@whatthebobbin said...

Wow! I love the quilting and that's amazing you did it on your home machine!

Linda said...

I think it is lovely! I don't think we realize how many hours go into the things we make because we are just doing what we enjoy and don't think about it.

Guess what, I FINALLY finished my One A Day quilt, LOL! I'm so ridiculously bad at getting things done. I set a goal for myself to finish at least 6 unfinished quilt projects this year. We will see how that goes. :)

Sarah Marie said...

What a whopper! Beautifully done. And such a great idea to record all the love {time} put into the quilt.

Lorna McMahon said...

What an incredibly large and handsome finish you are sharing with us this week and a great start to the new year! I adore that quilting design you used. You always come up with the cleverest designs, Amanda Jean! Happy 2014! Looking forward to seeing your next inspiring creation you will be sharing with us!
Lorna:)
http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com

Dyann said...

WOW! You should be really proud of yourself! You did a great job!!! I would like to know how you went about the quilting pattern, could you post how you did it? Happy New Year and cheers to more finishes in 2014!

Cascade Quilts said...

you quilted that HUGE quilt on your sewing machine?!!! Wowy wow wow! I just finished quilting an 85x85 quilt on my machine, and told myself that is the LIMIT of the size - any larger would need to be done on a longarm. Do you have a large table that your sewing machine is on? That would probably help me a lot - to have a large table (mine is very small)

Patti said...

What a beautiful quilt. It turned out wonderfully. Love the modern feel it has. And I am so impressed that you quilted it on your Juki. A huge accomplishment. And I think if the average person knew the # of hours it took to make a quilt (nevermind materials) they would be more appreciative of the cost of a handmade quilt. Well done!

Anne / Springleaf Studios said...

Have always like this pattern and this one is just beautiful. So impressed that you quilted the whole thing too. The recipient will surely treasure it.

Kristine said...

Great job! Adding up all the numbers you posted, I get 32 hours instead of 42. Still, it's a lot of time, and I'm impressed that you quilted it on a domestic machine, and it only took 8 hours. How large is the throat on the Juki?

Unknown said...

Oh my GOODNESS it's so beautiful! How fun to see the hours all totaled up for each stage of the quilt. I'm inspired to quilt bigger on my Juki. Wow. Sweet Friday Finish. :)

MissesStitches said...

I love your quilting design and am not sure I've seen it before. Could you please give me (or us) some guidelines on doing it? Where you start, etc. (I'm a "learning" free motion quilter!) Thanks. It's a beautiful quilt.

Patty said...

Applause. Great quilt. Totally impressed you did this on your home machine!

leanne said...

this quilt is gorgeous and the quilting is just amazing - interesting to see the time it took as well :)

Unknown said...

I love your quilt the colors are awesome, yay for you!

Christine S said...

Love your quilt!

2sew4fun said...

thank you for sharing the time tracking....puts it all into perspective for me! husband reminds me i would get more done with less computer time!!

junacreationsuk.blogspot.co.uk said...

I have a question, did you quilt moving the fabric from side to side or up to down/down to up?
I really love the quilting on this and would like to have a go, so any pointers would be great.
It's a beautiful make and I lvoe the colours.

Annalia said...

That is huge! Great job!

Pieced Brain Quilt Designs said...

Holy Cow! The biggest quilt I ever quilted in my Bernina (also without a frame) was queen size. Your quilt turned out wonderful, of course with all my favorite colors in it... Your projects make my fingers itch to go sew!

Jessica Christensen said...

I have been MIA for a while and have not seen all the beautiful things you have been working on. I love this. Love it. What a great accomplishment! It must feel so nice to have it done.

Live a Colorful Life said...

Really beautiful. And so well done, as always.