Quilt Update #1
Lookie here! I actually managed to write this blog post in a timely manner. Now if I can just keep up the habit I'll be good to go. I'm sure you're all dying to read about my quilt endeavor, but first I'd like to mention that I just finished a new piece of work titled Woman With Potted Plant. I created the piece so that I could submit it for consideration to Emergence, a juried exhibition that will run through November at the Dayton Society of Artists (DSA) gallery. I will be notified of whether or not my piece got accepted by October 19th, and I'll be sure to write about the outcome in one of my blog posts.
On to the quilt update! I've gotten sort of a slow start, but I'm making progress which is all I really care about, especially since this is all new territory for me.
I'm pleased to report that the terrible smell I mentioned in my last post has seemed to disappear from the bodice. I didn't do anything extra to try to get rid of the smell. I simply left it on a hanger so perhaps it just needed more time to air out? I don't know, and at this point I'm still not sure if I will use the lace for this project or save it for a future project. I will be making that decision later on in the process.
I don't believe I mentioned in my last post that when I bought the batting it was terribly wrinkled. I did some research online and found that you shouldn't iron the batting, but the wrinkles could be remedied with some time in the dryer. I put my batting in the dryer and it came out fine with no wrinkles, and ready to go.
Once I de-wrinkled the batting I moved on to cutting the fabric of the dress into the squares that will make up the quilt. I actually had to make another trip to the store for supplies, because on my first trip I neglected to buy any quilting rulers. I also needed a rotary cutter (I realized this after attempting to cut out the squares using regular scissors.
Unfortunately, the material of the dress is not ideal for cutting out exact squares. It's got some stretch to it, and so it shifts a little bit during the cutting process. It was a disappointing discovery, but the material was free, and hardly anything I make is ever exact so I'm going to push on and see how it turns out.
This is as far as I've gotten in the process. If I could get the rest of the squares cut out by the end of this week I could start actually sewing next week. I'm not in a rush to get the project done, but I do want to be making regular progress on it. I'm also creating other work to submit to shows and build up my portfolio, so this isn't my top priority everyday but it is high on the list.
Be on the look out for an update next week!