Quilting Along with Leah Day - Week 35

Although Leah Day designed the pattern, Goldilocks to suggest tendrils of hair, I used it in my grandniece's quilt to suggest the tidal patterns on sand. So, when Goldilocks became our Week 35 assignment and I had plans for a quilt with a working title of Shell Collection, I knew I would work up a section of beach.

Front Side of Goldilocks Sample
to be used as a section of beach in
Shell Collection

I found Goldilocks rather straightforward to execute. I can now create flowing lines and stippling with ease. My only hangup was figuring out how many times to echo a line and where to place the next pod of stippling. In retrospect I might have a preferred a few more echoing lines and a few less stipple pods on this piece.

You may find it easier to view the Goldilocks pattern on the backside. However, since I matched the front thread on the back, the contrast between the cream colored backing thread and white backing muslin isn't that large. The backing is a solid color therefore there is no distracting pattern on the fabric the way there is on the front.

Backside of Goldilocks Sample

This was my first time using Quilter's Dream Polyester Batting. I've been using Hobbs 80/20 for years. It helps to preshrink Hobbs 80/20. Whether it is the batting or my new washing machine, preshrinking my Hobbs 80/20 batts has been less than satisfactory. Instead of shrinking and thickening the batt, it tends to stretch and have areas of sparsity. Quilter's Dream doesn't require and actually discourages preshrinking. It does quilt up nicely. However, I noticed some of the poof disappeared when I ironed my sample. The final test will be to see how it handles the soak and blocking phase.