and then there were two

Below is one of my guild's raffle quilts for 2012.

and this is the second

  Using fabric, members replicated several historical buildings of Massachusetts.

Tiny squares were stitched into the background to create a water color frame.

The colors and detail are super.

 My job is to quilt them.

And because this is a group project I thought I would invite guild members to follow along in my process.

The first order of business is to decide on the batting....

Because these are art quilts and have some paint, marker, fusing, and delicate fabrics; traditional wet blocking won't work.  So I planned for battings that could take a little heat to be steamed into submission in the end, if needed.  A poly batt doesn't like heat, so I'm going with natural fibers.

I'm going with cotton and wool.

2 batts?!

These are wall hangings so a nice dense, cotton batt will work well.  But, there is some fullness in areas and also some areas will require more quilting than others, so a lofty wool batt will help to fill in the spaces.

You can see below a scrap of wool placed over a scrap of cotton.
It gives a nice loft but is not overly puffy.
The cotton on the back should give it a nice a hang.

The next order is choosing a backing.  Something in keeping with the buildings on the front is a must, but nothing solid.  There will be many thread color changes, starts and stops.  A busy back gives a more pleasing look.

Below is a busy back.  It is a little wild for the look we want on our buildings quilt, but that is what I mean by busy.

Each quilt is approximately 41 x 38.  A solid pieced backing is preferable.  There are many seams and layers to sew through on the top so one less seam on the back would be nice.  

Now, if I remember to continue to post pictures of my process -  you'll get to see the loading of the quilt, the importance of square backs, stabilizing the quilt and more!

-see you again soon- 

= )