I hate quilting. Or maybe I just hate machine quilting a comforter on a cheap sewing machine, where it's nearly impossible to control the results. (Or maybe it's my skill, or impatience that's the problem.) I think being tired all the time made the job even more frustrating. However, I finally pushed through, and completed the quilting on my comforter. It's crooked, it has snags, it has places where one of the sheets folded over. However, it's done, and I think completely useable. I've tossed it in the wash (on cold, gentle cycle), and hopefully it'll come out useable after it's been through a wash and dry cycle.
Oh... I washed the alpaca swatch several more times, just to see what happens. Here are the results:
original size: 6" x 2.625"
1 wash: 5.375" x 2.375"
2 washes: 4.625" x 2.375"
3 washes: 4.375" x 2.25"
4 washes: 4.25" x 2.125"
5 washes: 4.125" x 2.125"
The swatch is quite firm now, and I can no longer see light shining between the stitches. I can make out stitches to a certain degree, but I think I would make quite a few mistakes if I tried counting stitches on this swatch. The stiffness would be good for slippers, but not for other types of clothing.
Well, the wash cycle finished while I was typing, and there doesn't seem to be any damage. It's maybe not quite as poofy as it was, but I'm fine with that. I've stuck it in the dryer on hot. That's perhaps not the smartest thing to do, but it would take forever to dry otherwise.
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