Wave Sunset Quilted

Sharon Prigan
3 days ago
3 min read

The mood I wanted was clear from the start. I was aiming for something dark, quiet, and somber, with depth rather than brightness. Purple and orange quilting thread brought in just enough contrast to keep the quilted wave sunset interesting without breaking the heavier mood.

I worked slowly, pinned carefully, and took breaks before tired hands could make careless choices.

A 100 x 140 cm quilt is not enormous compared with a bed quilt, but it is large enough to make quilting slow.

I layered the quilt

I began with

A dark blue sheet for the backing
A flannel sheet in the middle
The top layer of the art quilt
Safety pins to hold the layers together

The backing was the first layer I placed down. I used a dark blue sheet that I found in my box of twilight fabrics.

I smoothed the backing carefully, working from the center outward. This step always looks simple, but it sets up everything that follows. If the backing has wrinkles, those wrinkles remain. Once the quilting begins, they become much harder to fix.

The flannel sheet came next. I chose flannel because it adds a soft middle without making the quilt too puffy. Flannel also grips slightly. That can be helpful when layering because it does not slide as freely as smoother fabrics.

Then I added the top pieced layer.

Safety pins do the job

Once the layers were stacked, I secured them with safety pins. This is not the most glamorous part of quilt making, but it may be one of the most important. Pins hold the quilt in place while the stitching begins. They prevent the fabric from creeping, folding, or twisting under the needle.

plastic container with safety pins lying on a quilt

I started pinning near the center and worked outward. That method helps push any extra bulk toward the edges rather than trapping it in the middle. I placed the pins close enough to control the layers, but not so close that they became a nuisance while quilting.

A few things helped keep the process manageable:

Smooth each layer more than once before pinning
Pin from the center toward the edges
Keep the quilt flat while placing pins
Check the back often, not just the front
Remove and reset pins if anything feels wrong

That last point is easy to resist. No one wants to redo work that seems almost good enough. But with a large quilt, “almost” tends to grow. A tiny pucker can become a visible gather after several rows of quilting.

So I gave myself permission to stop and correct things. That slowed me down in the moment, but it saved frustration later.

Pinning is aggravating work, but it gives the whole quilt a better chance to become what it is meant to be

Choosing threads

I quilted the sky area with purple and the sun rays with orange and pink.

4 spools of thread lying on strips of fabric

There is a point in almost every large textile project when I start thinking, “I can probably finish this if I just keep going.” That is usually the moment when I need to stop.

a quilt under a sewing machine being quilted

Working tired leads to small mistakes. The stitch line wanders. The fabric bunches. The quilt starts to feel like a problem instead of a piece of work I care about.

For this quilt, I tried to listen for that shift. When my shoulders tightened or my attention drifted, I took a break. Sometimes that meant standing up and stretching. Sometimes it meant stepping away until the next day.

My best advice is simple: do not wait until you are frustrated to rest. Stop before you make mistakes.

A few habits helped me stay patient:

I checked the back of the quilt after each quilting session
I clipped loose threads before they tangled
I kept the quilt supported on a small table so its weight did not drag
I changed position often to avoid pulling from one angle
I accepted that slow progress was still progress

The weight of a 100 x 140 cm quilt can work against you if it hangs off the table or bunches in your lap. Supporting the fabric makes the stitching smoother and reduces strain.