Sarah's Star & Celtic Knots

I love Quilt It! Challenge! I have learned SEW MUCH - seriously....

Join us! http://www.sewexcitedquilts.com/2013/01/11/quilt-it-challenge/

For this last Sarah's Star practice block, I wanted to quilt a design (Celtic Knots from Dover CD book) inside an all-over background.

However, this is not the background I planned. You know that means? I am finally learning to listen to my block! When I was half-way finished with channel quilting, I could "see" how I needed to change directions in the border.

Here are my "Quilt It! Challenge Rules," aka what I have learned to far:

1. Start quilting in the ditch to stabilize and outline work areas.
2. Work from the center out! Takes a little longer, but keeps block from getting wonky, and saves some thread.
3. Echo quilting is an important element to differentiate where feature element meets background designs.

Best of all, the tension problems that have troubled my quilting are finally worked out:)

I tried Liz's Lumpless Binding technique from the Fons & Porter  Build Your Best Log Cabin ebook (pg. 23-4).  Took me a while to figure it out, but it works super! Hope this illustration helps you to figure it out faster than I did:

(after)

See how the binding folds meet at 90 degrees? Mark through centers with a 45 degree stitching line.

 



(before)

 

 

Next Quilt It! Challenge is the Reverse-T Block.

 

Jackie @SewExcitedQuilt has already finished the first T-Block Challenge, and it is lovely!!!

LUV the blue, Jackie!

 

Stash hunting now, so I can catch up!  Happy Quilting:)