Quilting the batik quilt

I got the batik quilt loaded this weekend and started quilting.  As a matter of fact, I had to do it twice because the first time I didn't use my centering tape measure and the quilt was 1" narrower at the end. I don't know why I didn't use it from the beginning. There's so much bias in this quilt because of the diagonal seams that I needed to be careful loading it.

I love the Longarm Centering Tape. I don't use the number marks on the tape, I only use the little flags to mark major seams. As I load the quilt and roll it forward I line everything up with the flags. The second time around I got it right.

I'm about halfway through the quilt and I knew very quickly that the maintenance that I did on the quilt was worth the effort. No more thread breaks and I'm using a pretty persnickety thread.

With this quilt I'm trying a new approach to my day. I usually I start my day with shop work. Then I work as long as I need to get through my list and I'm finding myself at the end of the day without any sewing or quilting time. I'm going to try to start my day with an hour of sewing or quilting and then get to "work". 

I'm using a pantograph on this quilt simply because I want it done! It's going to be on my bed so it doesn't really matter.I picked a purple thread that was a little lighter than the fabric so it would show up. It doesn't show at all on the blocks.

I had gotten out of using pantographs much but when Marcy was quilting veterans quilts for me this summer she used them. That got me interested in them again. I prefer doing free motion from the fron of the machine but I quilt way too densely for a bed quilt. Pantographs are the best tool for me for bed quilts. 

​Thsi one should be done in a couple of days.