Wednesday wrap up!....

 All that makes this!  And yes, that was me talking.  I was a bit too close and forgot about the handles.

I chose a brilliant pink to bind this quilt with.  All finished now and on the donation pile.

The pantograph is called Ginger Snaps and we used a beautiful King Tut thread.......pinks basically.....#914

and then a #991 in the bobbin.

All done and ready for the donation pile.  I have no use for these two quilts.  I wouldn't dream of giving them to my granddaughters as pink is definitely not their colour.
I'm sure someone will love this quilt.

This is quilt number two.  We used the same pantograph on this one.  Just a simple jelly roll quilt that took me half a day to sew together.

When I was done and it was ready to be packed up for taking to the long arm, I stitched both sides of the quilt so it wouldn't unravel.  It's next to impossible to secure the ends on a  jelly roll quilt, so this is the next best thing.              I opted for an orange toned fabric for this binding.  We did try others but this one worked the best.  The backing is fabulous even if I do say so myself.

 I have a few tips for you when working with pre-cuts.  I really lucked out this time when it was time to purchase the binding.  Both of these jelly rolls have been in the house for about a year.  They weren't going to be used for quilts so I never thought about binding.  It could have been a problem purchasing co-ordinating fabric, but fortunately I found some for both quilts.  Next time, I'll think ahead and buy my binding at the same time.............  .45 meters will do it for quilts this size.
I can't say I had problems with sewing this quilt but it does help to know when working with batiks it is a bit different that sewing 100% cotton fabrics.
1.  Choose a sewing machine needle with a sharp point.  Needles with a sharp point such as the Microtex Sharp needle is a good choice for working with the high thread count of batik fabrics.
2.  Choose a good quality thread......cotton, polyester or silk.  I like So Fine by Superior Threads.
You can read more here:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5911569_sew-batik-fabrics.html
They also recommend washing your fabric, but I don't wash any pre-cut fabrics.  If I can't wash the top fabrics, I don't want to wash the backing fabrics.
Last year (?) I posted this link and I did have every intention of making this quilt.  My friend Irene has her quilt all done and delivered to her granddaughter.  Isn't it beautiful?