First it was just an idea. Then finally while cleaning, I found it again and decided it would make a great quilt for a neighbor child. But first I had to read & re-read the instructions and stare at the panels.

Panels can be a bit fiddly (you know, not straight). The pattern had a panel for the front and back and required strips to be cut from the back to add to the front but of course the printed panel hadn’t read the instructions and nothing was straight.

Top – Panel with Top/Bottom Sashing Bottom – Matching Pillowcase made from extra Backing fabric

I REALLY appreciate Fabric Cafe and their process to check the accuracy of their patterns. Unfortunately not all non-Fabric Cafe patterns are tested as well. I should know better and not approach a pattern assuming it has been tested.

The front and back are both panels with some added strips. Because the use of panels can be a bit wonky, there was issues matching front and back sizes.

What I didn’t realize until I had cut fabric per the directions was that the pattern instructions created both the front and back the same size. It did not allow for the back to be larger as is usual for sandwiching to quilt it, especially if it is to be quilted by a longarm quilter.

I have added strips of scrap fabric to give the extra when sending to my longarm quilter. But I had decided to quilt this on my domestic machine. I matched them up as best as I could and basted the quilt sandwich. I must admit between the size issue and my difficulty with Quilt As Desired I did become frustrated and had to put this project in Time Out.

Then came my shoulder! Quilting on my domestic machine includes a lot of tugging & manipulating of fabric and my shoulder would not cooperate.  So again it went to a UFO Project Pile .

When quilting with my domestic machine I use a walking foot to evenly feed the thick layers of fabric and batting. My machine has a 9 mm stitch width, but the original walking foot would only accommodate a 5 mm stitch width.

While attending Hinkletown Sewing Machine Shop’s Customer Appreciation event last month, I was able to pick up the newly released 9 mm Walking Foot #50W. I will use this foot and one of the decorative stitches on my machine to quilt the Dinosaur Quilt.

So now Fabric Cafe top is finished and in FedEx. A quick clean up of the sewing room and a bit of setup around my sewing machine and this project is going to get done!

Hummmm! Now the question is where did I put the binding?!

Hope you are making progress on whatever you are stitching this week!

Happy Stitching!

Quilt Mouse