Frustrated!

 

I was hoping to have the first stage of the trapunto stitched on my blue whole cloth quilt before I took a few days off next week. I’m going to Tucson and I’d love to be able to sit in the warm sun and snip around the trapunto  while enjoying Tucson’s beautiful scenery.

I had very few appointments or must-do’s this week so this was my week! I was going to get that top trapuntoed and return from Tucson to begin the quilting. Hah! It looks like my plan is not to be. I’m having treasured guests this weekend, teach on Saturday and leave on Monday. There’s still hope, but not much.

I thought about taking my BERNINA 153 along with me. I’d hoist it up to the carry-on area but I’m having second thoughts about that plan. I have no worries about the hoisting part, but wonder if I should just chill for awhile. I do not know how to chill! The jury is still out on that one.

So why am I so frustrated? I am determined to create a “fluffy” border similar to the one on the inspiration quilt held at the International Quilt Study Center and Museum in Lincoln, NE. I am inspired by the  beauty of that quilt and that gorgeous border.

I am learning the hard way that scallops on an already scalloped border are exceptionally difficult to draft. There are more complications than meet the eye. I have been working this border for weeks, not only drafting it but figuring out how to finish that edge. Both activities are rocket science.

As to finishing the edge of the scallops, I have concluded that the only sane thing to do is to finish with a buttonhole stitch, by hand. And that is barely sane but seems to be the best alternative. I ordered 3 different types of silk thread from Superior for the edge finish and I just got them today. I can’t wait to try them out. I almost hope that I prefer cotton – that much silk is going to cost me!

I’ve gotten good at drafting these guys and I surely must have drafted at least 15 different sizes, no kidding! It requires algebra and I find myself doing basic equations like 5x + (1.5 x 4) = 56.25; oh wait, how about 6x + (1.5 x 5) = 56.25? It’s not difficult at all now, but at first I didn’t realize that I could come up with an equation to figure it out.

I thought I had it all figured out, I marked an entire side and then came to this:

I did not account for the flip at the end of the row, which shortens the next side. Back to the drawing board. After about the 7th drafting, on fabric, I got to where I could not tell which mark I wanted to use. I used all kinds of different markers but it was becoming a mess. Forehead slap: draft it on a long piece of paper first to make sure my measurements would work. Duh – it’s so much easier that way!

I am also realized that two products that I normally use cannot b used on this quilt. I usually Misty Fuse-baste my quilts but with trapunto, I cannot do that. The trapuntoed areas would have wool batting Misty Fused to wool batting and that will not work nor will any other fusible method like fusing powder. I’ll be pin basting, something I rarely do.

Also, I cannot use the Crayola washable markers. I do not want to immerse this quilt when it’s done to wash out the marking. I plan on using Blue Line Eraser so that I don’t have to immerse it. I have tested it and it seems to be fine. I also wrote the maker to confirm this. The Crayola markers would need to be immersed.

I really love trapunto and I am so excited about this quilt. I have finished the first step of the trapunto in the quilt’s center and I love it!

Here you can get a feel for how the front might look after the trapunto has been added. I’m loosey goosey with my marking of the plant motifs and don’t need to hit my marked lines.

I love the little fluffy piles of batting that result from the cutting process. This is almost art in itself.

I am glad that I have a good scissor inventory. I have done trapunto many times before and always preferred the Dovo 52 (center scissors). But they did not work well on the dupioni: when they hit one of the thicker dupioni threads, they would tend to gouge. It was like a log in the way of the tips and it just was too risky.

I also like to use my curved Kai 5135. but I had the same problem with them – they would hit a thick thread and want to gouge. The Dovo 285 are perfect: that slight bill skims over the thick threads, the bottom tip is not too pointy and they are the right length. Perfect! I love Dovo’s and Kai’s – they are my favorite scissor brands.

I may be at this for awhile. Wish me luck! I’ll be linking up with Nina-Marie’s Off the Wall Friday.