How to Finish a Quilt

Most quilters know how to make a quilt.

• Choose the pattern and fabric
• Cut fabric and stitch pieces into a quilt top
• Prepare an appropriate sized quilt back
• Layer back, batting and top together and baste for quilting
• Quilt the layers.
• Bind the quilt

Sounds easy. Just do a series of steps and the quilt is done. The journey to finishing this bear quilt wasn't quite as quick or straight forward.

Making this quilt went more like this.

• I was one of 3 quilting coworkers who each made 2 quilts for the 6 babies due in the 2004 baby boom at work. I bought the bear panel just in case.
• Retire in 2005.
• Summer 2008: A baby is on the way. I'll make something simple so I can get it done more or less on time.
• Add borders to the bear panel to make a quilt top.
• Use Joan's Trick to make a quilt back from flannel.
• Layer the quilt back, batting, and the quilt top.
• Baste with safety pins, fold, and move to my sewing/quilt area.
• December 2008: I have to make Christmasa gifts now! Move quilt sandwich out of the way.
• The baby arrives. Send the rest of my gift and don't mention the quilt. It can be a surprise gift when I finish it.
• 2009: Move quilt sandwich back and forth between the table behind my sewing machine, the cutting table, and other horizontal surfaces.
• 2010: Move quilt sandwich back and forth between the table behind my sewing machine, the cutting table, and other horizontal surfaces.
• January through June, 2011: Move quilt sandwich back and forth between the table behind my sewing machine, the cutting table, and other horizontal surfaces.
• End of June: Time to bust this UFO and get it out of my way and off my to do list.
• Quilt for 2 seconds at high speed.
• Spend 45 minutes picking out poorly placed (and tiny) quilting stitches.
• Quilt at much slower pace with good results.
• Bind quilt.
• Baby is now 2 years old. Put finished quilt away for the next baby.

I did free motion quilting (at a slow speed) around many of the shapes in the printed panel. I added some loopy, curved quilting lines in the background area to even out the quilting density. The quilting is closer than the Soft and White batting needs, but it is what worked for this quilt.

The quilt has 4 borders. 2 are printed on the panel and I added the yellow print border and the blue print with yellow stars. I quilted in the ditch of the added borders with my walking foot. I also stitched the printed lines outlining the borders printed on the panel. You have to look closely to see which borders are part of the panel and which aren't.

No longer an Unfinished Object, I'll put this cute quilt with a cuddly flannel back away until an appropriate gift giving occasion arises. My UFO list is one object shorter.