The Chalk Line

I finished up two more custom quilt orders this week and I am always happily surprised to see how much more I like the quilts once they are laundered.  They just pop and that cuddly look gives them the overall feel that I want from a quilt. Of course I had to take a picture of them rolled up because this is my new favourite way to show the puffy goodness of a handmade quilt 🙂  It’s also the way I package quilts for sale because I just like how it looks.

I used to sell my quilts with a tag that suggested immediate laundering so they would become soft and cuddly, but found that some people were afraid to put them into the wash.  So I’ve started washing and drying all the quilts I make for sale because when they are soft and cuddly they seem more attractive to buyers, and that way they get to see exactly what they are getting, instead of buying something crisp and flat and then having it appear differently after it comes out of the dryer.  As well, this gives me a chance to make sure everything is good for the long term before a new quilt goes to its owner.  I have no reason to doubt that it will all hold together of course, but this way I and they know that the quilt has successfully been laundered and they don’t have to worry about doing it from then on.

These were both done with panels on the right side (you didn’t actually think I had pieced all the little funny shapes, did you?) bordered with bright coordinates, and fabric called The Chalk Line on the left.  Words and phrases on everything have become a popular style and, because there was so much to this fabric that I didn’t want to distract from, I did a simple loop stitching pattern just to give it the quilting it needed and to add little splashes of color with the cool variegated thread I am having so much fun with.