Terrain Quilt Finally Done?! If you say so!

I finally finished quilting the Stepping Stones project sheet pattern using a layer cake of Kate Spain's Terrain fabric.

I say it's finished, because I went ahead and finished the binding, but I am not sure if I should do some more quilting or not? What do you think?

I was in a hurry to bind it, because the extra batting around the edges was shedding like crazy all over the place. I didn't have enough clips or pins to roll the backing over the batting temporarily, so I broke down and used masking tape. How embarrassing!! Ugh. Well, blue painter's tape and lint rollers are my new best friends!

I read that stitching in the ditch is "so '90s" so I stitched a 1/4 inch in from all the black seams, with black thread in the top and bobbin.

Then, I gave in and stitched in the ditch with monofilament in the top and black thread in the bobbin, around the squares on point.

I really want the color to pop, but I don't want it to be too loose. Using Warm and Natural batting, I think it's ok, structurally.

If I do more quilting, it would probably be quite a commitment to do it overall, and it might get heavy.

Would you quilt in the colored blocks at all?

This is a late holiday gift, so I'm hoping to send it on its way soon!

I mitered the corners, but I didn't stitch all the way out to the edges, so they have little mouths. I think I should hand stitch those shut. Any suggestions?

I still need to wash it. I hope it works ok. I did prewash all the black once before.

I had a little bit of trouble with lots of whiskers of batting coming out where I had thread basted. In a more recent video by Sharon Schamber, I think she mentions using 2 strands of DMC Perle Cotton Size #8.

 

I think I used a round ball of thread, Size 5 on this, so I'm going to try next time with Size 8. Either way, I am singing her praises! I am very pleased at how little of a struggle it was, with no puckers or tucks on the back!

Please share your suggestions on how to improve this! Thanks!

Terrain Quilt Top Progress on Christmas Eve

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF MY SEWING BLOGGERS!
I'm learning a lot from you!

With a day off work, I decided to get busy sewing the last row of blocks on this quilt top.

It won't be done in time for Christmas gifting - it may not even be done by next year! - but I'm afraid if I don't finish it now, I never will!

The layer cake of Kate Spain's Terrain fabric did not contain the fabrics in the picture for this Stepping Stones pattern, so I had to improvise. Yikes!

I do not understand color and light. I chose this pattern for the optical illusion, because there's no way I could ever come up with something this cool on my own!

Luckily, my dear husband helped me pick out remaining squares to use for the colors suggested.

I added the black border and stopped. I do not have any more fabric to do the suggested extra border around that. Do you think I should?

This is getting so big, I just don't understand how anyone makes bigger quilts! Whew!

Now I need to pick out 4 yards of fabric for the back.

Would you suggest black? Or yardage of one of the Terrain prints? I can't decide.

Next comes the basting. The basting spray I tested on smaller squares didn't seem to stick enough to work. I think I'm going to have to pin baste on the floor. Does anyone pin baste on a table starting from the center, if the floor is too small or has pets not willing to vacate the area?

And then, how will I quilt it? I am really digging the black pattern, so I may stitch in the ditch around the black to outline it.

Take care. {{{hugs}}}

Stepping Stones Project Sheet with Terrain Kate Spain Fabric

I saw the quilt kit online for Kate Spain's Terrain fabric and fell in love!

You can get this pattern - Stepping Stones Project Sheet free at Fat Quarter Shop.

Instead of buying the quilt kit, I bought a Layer Cake of Terrain, so I could change the white to black.

It was slow-going at first, because I was quite confused. The last 4 blocks, I was able to start piecing at the same time. I'm almost done...

If I can get this done, I hope to try her Good Fortune Pagoda quilt project next!