Hi Quilty Friends! This Oak and Reel quilt is one of three partially quilted quilts in my UFO stash. It was started in 2013 and became a UFO because I didn't like the quilting design or the thread I chose to use. So I threw a little temper tantrum, removed it from the quilting frame, stuck it in a bag and tucked it away....out of sight and out of mind.
The oak and reel block pattern came from the book Inspired by Traditions by Kay Mackenzie. To spruce up the block a little I added a few dark red circles to each block.
Over the last few days I've spent my evenings ripping out the quilting in the border.
The cheap monofilament thread from Joann's was a pain to quilt with and is a pain to rip out of the quilt.
This will probably take a week or two to remove all the stitches. The quilting covers about 1/4th of the quilt. The stitch in the ditch is the most difficult to remove. I'm also considering a different quilt back. The red in this backing is to bright.
So far I've been using my favorite seam ripper to remove the quilting. However, the cheap thread is dulling the ripper.
So, I pulled out this new to me style of seam ripper that I've had tucked away for a couple of years. The packaging says it's the best little unpicker. We'll see about that. Have you ever used this style of seam ripper? I'll let you know in a few days if I like it or not.
I have a Clover seam ripper also, love it! I've never seen the other kind, I hope it works well for you. Oak leaf and reel is a lovely quilt, those little red circles really add some zing. Happy unsewing!
ReplyDeleteI've not used that seam ripper. I guess I prefer using ones I don't pay a lot for and replace them as needed. Also, after nearly causing serious eye damage with one of those finger mount stilettos I forgot I had on, I'm not real anxious to use any pointed tool that can remain on my finger when not needed.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain on removing the quilting. I use enough foul language when I have to remove a much smaller area of quilting due to tension issues, and that's without dealing with monofilament. I hope the new seam ripper makes your task easier.
Hopefully you can get those stitches out soon! I have the finger ripper, but have not used it. Good luck
ReplyDeleteI love the top and I think it will be worth the effort to rip out and redo...I hope you find it so also. Please let us know your experience with the seam ripper. I use the same Clover that you use but have tried others which didn't strike my fancy.
ReplyDelete