How are you?
Are we done yet? Well, almost, right?
What do you do with your quilt top? Do you use a longarmer and quilt by credit card? Do you put your Aviatrix on top the big pile of “I need to quilt these one day”? Do you hand quilt? Machine? And how do you usually construct your quilt sandwich?
This week’s task
So, there is still quite some work to do before we can cuddle up in our Aviatrix. And we are talking about a large quilt. That means, either you treat yourself with 108-in-wide backing or you need to piece your backing. On the positive side: there is not much math involved, just sew together two pieces of 40-something-inch-wide quilting cotton and you are there.
Find five ideas about pieced backs from this swim bike quilt blog post.
Next up: Basting. It’s not normal to be so lucky to have such a huge table to baste a beast of a quilt like we have in our fantastic Creative Passions retreat center in Chesaning, Michigan. It easily fits the Aviatrix and is pure luxury.
Christa Watson made a tutorial a while ago to show how to spray baste.
Jen Frost talks about the benefits of spray basting.
Do you prefer to pin baste? Have a look at Suzy’s tips on her basting tutorial.
You don’t have a big place to spread out? Watch Becky’s video and learn how to use pool noodles (yes, pool noodles).
Now that you have done your sandwich, you need to think about the quilting. Do you have a go-to strategy?
If not, Raylee Bielenberg from Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting has ideas for choosing quilting designs for your quilt.
Find more general tips for the quilting here.
You would love to explore hand quilting? Sandra Starley gets you started here.
There are thousands of free posts and videos on free motion quilting out there. Why don’t you check out some of them to get inspired? Leah Day, Angela Walters, Christina Cameli… to name just some of them.
Other than that: Get going, just do it!
What’s next?
There’s one more newsletter to come next Sunday. But it still ain’t over yet!
Post what you are doing, we want to see your finished or almost finished work! Share on Instagram and FB, please! #gaaqgqal
And it’s never too late to learn how to: Here is our Instagram slideshow Instagram Tutorial.
Now: Read the newsletter and save the date!
Come and join us for our next GAAQG Quilt Day Meeting!
Saturday, May 22, 9 am EDT
We’ll have our guest teacher David Owen Hastings talk about “Minimal Design, Maximum Impact.”
But that’s not all: The lecture is followed by our guild meeting, then we meet and chat in little groups in breakout rooms. And finally: our famous Show and Tell. Be part of it. Send in your Aviatrix Show and Tell pictures: showandtell@gaaaqg.com by May 14, so we can celebrate together.
All participants of the GAAQG Quilt-Along are invited to swing by virtually and say “hi!”
Stay happy and have a fantastic week,
Nico Laudenberg, Gena Loyd and Nancy Frye
Reach out and connect:
Email: socialmedia@gaaqg.com
Instagram: @gaaqg
Hashtag: #gaaqgqal