Saturday Sampler

This is the only Saturday Sampler I have actually completed.  It is the first one that I ever participated in - it was probably back in 2005.  I have participated in, I think, 4 others, but the blocks are still waiting to be put together.

It's a big quilt - I think it was 76 inches wide.  I have a midarm machine - a HQ16 and when I bought it, it could be set up on an 8 foot table or a 12 foot table.  At the time, I thought I would never need a 12 foot table, so I set it up at 8 feet.  What I didn't realize is that you can't quilt an 8 foot quilt on an 8 foot table.  Six feet tops.  This one was too big.  I went on a HQ forum and asked for tips. The only one I got was to cut it in half lengthwise.  Since I had already attached the borders, I didn't think I could do that.  I folded over one edge, but then when you roll it on the rollers, it ends up skewed.  I ended up shoving bits of batting in to minimize the skewing, then quilted one quarter of the quilt at a time.  It was very nerve-wracking.  Amazingly, there are no tucks in the back!

Here is a close up of some of the better quilted parts.

I used a wool batting, which was very nice.  It quilted up much puffier than cotton.  You have to wash it in cold water and can't use the dryer, but it is very light and warm.  A good choice, in my opinion, for a larger quilt.

This was my daughter's graduation quilt.  She graduated high school in 2005.  She got it in 2008.  I named it "Patience is a Virtue".