My lastest WIP

The quilt I'm currently working on is for Miss R to take with her to the Scout Jamboree in January, so I really need to have it finished by Christmas if possible. However, this one has been an absolute NIGHTMARE to quilt. I don't know if I've lost my quilting mojo or if it has something to do with the backing being a heavier weight. It's 100% cotton, but it is a furnishing fabric rather than a quilting fabric. I thought it would be perfect as it would be sturdier but I've done more unpicking on this quilt than any other!

I always have trouble getting my layers firm enough. I can't lay the quilts out on the floor to baste together as I have no floor coverings yet and the unsealed floor is just filthy. I usually use large clips to hold them on my table and this seems to work ok. For this one, I took it up to my Mum's to baste and did it the recommended way ( ie taped to the floor) but when I started quilting, the seams were puckering really obviously. I foolishly kept going thinking it wasn't too bad, but by the time I'd quilted about 3/4, it was looking really crap, so I unpicked it all, pinned it again and started quilting all over again. The vertical lines look fine, but once again, the horizontal lines are puckering as the backing fabric is too loose between the lines of stitching and the top is looking a little stretched out of square.

The backing fabric is the only real difference so I'm hoping that's the issue. I can't remember if I've actually used the new Janome to quilt yet - I thought I had but maybe not - so hopefully the machine isn't the problem......it's a model advertised for quilting and that's why I bought it! I guess the next one I attempt will give me the answer though.

Anyway, the quilt will turn out ok; I know that I'm just being overly critical.

Oh, and in my desperation, I actually attempted some free motion quilting and it was TERRIBLE. Seriously. Embarrassingly bad. Before I started, I envisaged what I wanted to do, did some practice loops on paper and in my head and then once my foot hit the pedal, my brain just disengaged and it was like I had no control over what my hands were doing. It looked like scribble. Ugh!