2 quilts for gifts

[LeilaMay]

Went for the simple squares option in the end, and have started work on the pair of quilts for my granddaughters.
Their favourite colours are apparently "pink, purple and sparkly" for the younger, and "turquoise, green and blue" for the older. I haven't used and children's prints, in the hopes the quilts will stay with them until they're grown up.
Today - my least favourite part of the process, pinning the layers together     [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  

[Ploshkin]

That is gorgeous @LeilaMay

[b15erk]

That's lovely @LeilaMay ! 

Choice of colours is perfect!

Jessie

[Lowena]

Lovely

[Sheilago]

Beautiful, love the subtle patterns and colours. The squares design is perfect.

[Stitches]

lovely

[Iminei]

Gorgeous!!!!

You are very talented !

[Nevis5]

Beautiful!  Am envious of your talents! x

[LeilaMay]

Thank you all for the nice comments    (but trust me, you don't have to be talented to do squares   )

I find it difficult to work in these colours as they aren't 'my thing' at all, yards of pink backing is making me shudder - but I hope she'll like it, which is the point, right?

On a practical note, I'm never happy with the smoothness of the layers once I've done it (and doing it at ground level s getting beyond me. Does anyone use a paste table or similar and clips, doing it in sections? I've seen it like that on youtube and think it might be my solution in the long term?
Off to the pink variegated thread . . .
Leila 

[Pearl]

Lovely quilt, @LeilaMay .

Have you seen this?

[BrendaP]

On a practical note, I'm never happy with the smoothness of the layers once I've done it (and doing it at ground level s getting beyond me. Does anyone use a paste table or similar and clips, doing it in sections? I've seen it like that on youtube and think it might be my solution in the long term?

Do you mean Quilt As You Go ? 
A strip of blocks, sandwiched and quilted then the next strip of blocks sewn to the first strip, a strip of backing sewn to the first strip of backing and a strip of wadding inserted between the two and the second set of strips quilted.

Yes, I've done that - but I crawled around the floor getting the second (and subsequent) strips of wadding in place.  You also have to remember to leave at least an inch of the first block unquilted so that you can actually join the strips. 

An alternative is to quilt all the strips and then join them together, but that way you have to have sashing strips between the strips of blocks.  Sashing is an integral part of some designs but definitely not for other designs.

[StitchinTime]

Does anyone use a paste table or similar and clips, doing it in sections? I've seen it like that on youtube and think it might be my solution in the long term?

The quilts I make are often longer than my table so as long as I can fit the width of the quilt on the table, I often use clips and pin in sections. I clip the first part of the layers to the table and pin that section. I then unclip that section, roll up the unpinned section and move the whole thing up the table so that about 6" of the pinned section is at the top of the table. I then clip the pinned section and unroll the rest, smoothing the layers as needed, before clipping and pinning that section. I repeat this until I run out of quilt to pin.

I have a large piece of thin mdf that over hangs the edge of the table and I use clothes pegs to clip the layers to this. For smaller quilts (or if I can't be bothered to get out the mdf) I put a cutting board on the table (to protect it from pins) and use the larger size of plant clips to hold the layers to the table.

I think some you tube options show the quilt layers being rolled around pool noodles or pieces of wood to make it easier to move them but my quilts haven't been big enough to need that.

[Ploshkin]

I just use the kitchen table (5' x 3') and do a section at a time.  I don't stretch or anchor anything.  I use basting spray on the batting then smooth the backing on to it with my hands.  (I have been known to use a rolling pin).  I shift it and do the next section and pay particular attention to the bit that was over the edge of the table.  I then do the same with the quilt top i.e.  spray baste the batting a section at a time and smooth the top onto it.  I then  add some safety pins round the edge on all 4 sides. 
I've never done a humongous quilt probably 64" is the biggest.

[Lowena]

I take the duvet off the kingsize bed and do it on the mattress. 505 spray and then 4 pins, one at each corner

[fajita]

I either drape and pin over an ironing board, or sometimes my desk and sewing table butt up together and I pin flat.
My quilts are usually baby sized.