More Batiks with finished Free Motion Quilting

Love the modern aesthetic...less piecing (not always, but considered acceptable), lots of solids and negative space, and an agreement that artsy free motion quilting, sketching with thread, doodling with a needle...all are part of the package.

Here are a couple more just off the long arm:

When all else fails...add more filler and keep on stitching!!  

;)

Beth

INSULBRIGHT: Demystified!

Getting to know my new APQS Millennium, I've wanted each project to teach me something new about either the quilter, thread, buttons, attachments, functions, techniques, or products that make quilting easier.

This week, as I finish a gorgeous custom quilt, I have picked backing fabric that is much wider than my project, and loaded extra wide batting also so I have a whole side margin in which to practice on smaller projects.  I load little pieced table mats, baby quilts, and am now working on a series of 'hot pads' using up favorite fabrics from my stash.

On the quilter, I already have the neutral backing fabric loaded and on top of that is Hobbs 80/20 (80% cotton, 20% poly) heirloom batting.  To make the pads heat proof, or at least heat resistant, I added this fantastic product:

InsulBright Heat Resistant Batting

Above, you can see in the first photo, that the polyester batting in the InsulBright is needlepunched around a thin and plyable foil layer which is the reflective heat resistant part.  The batting can be used on its own as the only batting layer, but I like the added thickness and padding that the regular batting allows.  

So our sandwich is four layers:  Backing, batting, InsulBright, topping fabric.

This makes my sandwich nice and thick and puffy, so I chose an all over meander to match the fun cowboy rope in this western style calico.  It will match a western/cowboy themed table topper I'm also quilting in my margin area, but this set of hot pads will have the heat resistant extra layer needed for hot bakeware, taking things from oven to table, and use as a trivet for serving.

The quilting in progress, and then a closer look.


The product and others like it, are available at your chain fabric stores, and stocked at most quilt shops, as well as online at fabric websites and even Amazon.com.  

Add this awesome product to your arsenal for great sewing projects that need to be heat resistant, like oven mitts, trivets, table runners, hot pads, and BBQ accessories.  A cute set of hot pads are a fun hostess gift when you add a candle, or a pretty pie plate or serving bowl to the gift.  

Make something this weekend!!  xo
Beth