Sweet Home QAL: Week 5

I honestly can't even believe we're to week 5 of the Sweet Home Quilt Along! It feels like we were just pulling fabrics and planning out our little houses! I hope it's been as fun for you as it has been for me to see everyone's progress over at #sweethomeqal. There are some truly adorable Sweet Home quilts coming together. 

This week is all about assembly, so let's get to it!

Week 5: Assembly and Finishing

 

For this week you'll be getting that quilt sandwich assembled, quilted, and bound for our final reveal!

Backing Fabric

I had originally planned to use an AGF print from Maureen's Cozy and Joyful line for my backing, but opted to switched last minute to a flannel sheet from Target instead. I happened upon it and couldn't pass it up.

It was sweet and simple, and I knew would be the perfect finishing touch for what I hope is a lifelong heirloom for our family. A quilt like this will be a treasure in our home, pulled out each holiday season and snuggled under during our favorite traditions. 

 

Quilting

There are so many fun options you could use for the quilting on a pattern like this.

Option 1: Handquilting Details

This pattern would be a *delightful* handquilting project! I love using a thicker thread like Perle Cotton no. 8 for handquilting (see my handquilting video here). You could choose straight lines for the skies, clamshells for the rooftops, echo the lines of the house and roof to outline it...the options are endless! It's a larger quilt, so doing something like this would be a wonderful winter project! 

Option 2: All Over Design (known as Edge to Edge)

This is the option I'm choosing with my friend Brooke of Lady Belle Fabrics. She's going to be longarming my quilt with a Christmasy design that will span the whole quilt. Here are the options I'm considering: 

I'm so excited to see the end result! I think it's going to add the perfect, magical touch! 

Sharon Holland chose an all-over pantograph for her original Sweet Home quilt that served as her cover quilt for her pattern (quilted by Brooke again!). It's another great example of using an edge to edge design on this pattern. 

 

Sharon also sewed a Baptist Fan (you can find her tutorial for that here) on her most recent Terra Kotta Sweet Home quilt. It's so beautiful and timeless, just like her quilt! 

Binding 

When it comes to binding, there are so many good options for this to add the perfect finishing touch! Sharon has used Chenille-It many times to finish her quilts, and it gives the most cuddly feel! Here's her tutorial for that! 

You may want to add some detail with your finishing stitches, like I did in my big stitch binding video, found here. 

I'll be keeping mine simple, with an AGF fabric for the binding and machine stitched closure. If I don't choose a solid, my favorite prints for bindings are stripes or dots. They're usually small enough to add the perfect touch.

Ok! That's it for this week!! Please post away at #sweethomeqal so we can see your beautiful makes!