En Provence ... The PLAN

Last November, I got sucked into another Bonnie Hunter Mystery. I love her stuff, read her blog and adore scrappy quilts. BUT ... I no longer have a 12' Handiquilter. I have an 8' Handiquilter because I am no longer making really big quilts ... until last November (and this March but that's another story).

I made some parts - a LOT of parts. And eventually, there was a quilt that I knew was going to be too big. I had a plan. What if I left off the border, did some Handiquilter magic, stitched the border on and finished quilted on my sit-down sewing machine? The will work - right? Even if I have to drag it all into the dining room for more space. But I'm not too good at sit-down quilting and this quilt is big. Maybe sew the top and bottom border on and just sit-quilt the side borders ... I have a plan.

I measured and remeasured and tried loading it.

Well - surprise! The frame will actually hold a quilt 87" x 87".  I can't quilt all the way to the edge but at least it's all there.

This is as far on each side that I could quilt. I pin basted the edges as I went along to keep it stable.

The plan changed ... I quilted everything but a couple of inches on each side, then I turned the whole quilt and did the top and bottom.  A too-big quilt all done on my 8' Handiquilter.

Then there was binding.  I'm no longer set up for big quilts. I don't do big quilts anymore.

This quilt got a binding.

And it is D.O.N.E.

with a fun pieced backing.

This quilt had been mocking me since January. It was sitting out in my sewing room, getting moved around, while I tried to ignore it but it really wanted to be done.

It's done! The plan (and it's variations) worked.  Handiquilter magic - again!

Because I don't "do" big quilts anymore.