Ditching, Ditching, Ditching...

I am happy to say that the Ladies of the Sea quilt is done, and off my machine.  But I am waiting to show pictures of it until I have a non-snowy day so good pics can be taken.  It is gorgeous!

We had yet another snow day today, with everybody home under one roof yet again.  I got started on a newer Judy Neimeyer quilt that Jackie Kunkel made.  She's teaching this in a couple weeks, so this must get finished!  As many of you know, she is also a longarmer, but has less and less time to longarm because of teaching.  Never the less, the fact that she's a teacher makes me want this quilt to look good.  

Here is what the whole quilt looks like...It has loads of piecing and applique details.  Today I started it, stitching some of the aqua , but mostly just doing the SID.  I am only 1/2 through the quilt's SID after 4 hours!  Because this is near and dear to me, and my philosophy as a quilter, I want to show a couple of before and after shots.  Too many quilters avoid SID because they don't like it, or they believe it takes too long so clients don't want to pay properly for their time.  Whatever the reason, it truly MAKES the quilt, and I wouldn't ever quilt one of this level of detail without it.  I'd sooner turn down the job than do it in a substandard way.  

This picture shows the appliques with just background fills - no SID.  Notice how the edges of the piecing and applique are poofy?

Fast forward a couple hours...Below I have ditched the details using Madiera Monolon clear nylon thread.  There are quilters that don't like the clear threads, and it is days like today that make me understand why.  I was fighting the monolon and the batiks left and right.  Sadly, batiks are fine 95% of the time.  It's the one rogue case of trouble that spoils it for all!  Anyhow, the SID makes the applique look great.

 Busy batiks don't show details of quilting very well, so I will be adding more detail after the bulk of the quilt is ditched, and easier fills are done.  This will help to stabilize it.  Here's another section without ditching...points aren't very pointy are they? (points at the top border are SID, but the spikey flower isnt).

 And after ditching... nice and crisp.  It is a two-part equation...or maybe three part.  I have used a wool batting which retains loft, there is dense stitching in the background, AND the SID.

 Happy stitching, shoveling, and whatever else you are doing.  Just know that if we get anymore snow, I won't be seeing anything out my window but. white.  In the last week, 50+" have fallen here!