I've Done My Quilt Aerobics for the Day!

I finished the pink top yesterday and today got it ready for quilting.  First of all, I move the furniture and roll up the rug.  Maggie doesn't particularly like this part.  Fergus, if he's not already on the couch, gets on the couch to stay out of the way.  I move the dining room table and chairs to the living area so I can use the floor space in the dining area.

Next, I use masking tape to tape the backing taut, but not stretched. 

I smooth the batting over the backing and trim away the excess.

I lay the top down, smooth it out, and pin it all in place.  I space the pins out about every 4 inches or so and leave them open.  Maggie waits patiently for me to finish.  She knows she's not supposed to get on the quilt, but she's always hopeful!



After pinning the entire quilt, I remove the masking tape.  I use the Kwik Klip tool to close the pins.  Doing this after removing the masking tape provides enough slack in the quilt to get the pins closed easily and quickly.  Though it's hard to take a picture of this process with one hand!



I'm trying out a new thread, for me at least, Aurifil.  I've heard nothing but raves for this thread, so I'm looking forward to working with it.  I wanted a cream color, but they were out.  I think the pink will do nicely though!  You can never have too much pink,...right?!



LaDonna