My Heidi

This is my first complete project to be quilted on my brand new Bernina Q20 longarm machine!

After much deliberation this year I bought myself a Bernina Q20 longarm machine and studio frame (with an extension ready for when I want to go big!) instead of taking a planned trip to Europe this year for my 50th birthday, which I had spent a few years saving up for. 

You can read about it's arrival here!

 I started with using the straight ruler to make the triangles in the white squares, and then used the curved ruler to create the loopy 'cross' inside the blue and purple plus blocks - being my first project with the Q20, it's all a bit wonky but I'm quite happy with how it improved as I went along!

I also decided to free-motion the side-to-side lines inside some of the triangles.

This photo shows up the quilting really well...I alternated the direction of the triangles on each row, so some are 'up' and some are 'down'.

The pattern for this lap quilt was based on a Quilty Love pattern 'Simple Plus quilt', and I made it a square quilt of 45"sq, which was just the right size to fit on the studio frame for my Q20.

The top was made with leftovers from this Irish Chain quilt, and from the leftover vintage cotton sheet that I had used for that project as well.

The backing is from stash fabric and leftovers.

As my Q20 is nicknamed Heidi, it also felt like the best name for this quilt, which I will be keeping for myself. And of course, a polka dot binding to set it all off.

Here are some shots from when I was doing the quilting:

It is so cool to have the quilt all stretched out, and the movement all takes place with the needle/machine, rather than wrestling the quilt through the space and trying to keep it flat and taut while sewing.

With the studio frame only being 5 feet wide, I can tell it won't be long until I am asking Jenny and Pauline to come back and add on the extension so I can do wider quilts!

Now, I must get away to the sewing room and whip up some more quilt tops so I can quilt them on Heidi! Our school summer holidays have just started, so that will give me tonnes of free time in my happy place...