*binding tips I have learned

We hope you and your family had a great Christmas this year. We sure did! I did manage to get some time to get some Christmas runners stitched out for our home this year! Since I have learned how to sew binding on with this method shown below, I always love the way my projects finish up.  If you don't already bind using this method, I hope this tutorial can be of some help to you. Happy Sewing!

Do you see the creases from the pressing? This is where you will be doing your stitching to connect the two pieces of binding.

Your going to pin the binding pieces together right sides facing right sides.  You will line up the pressed marks and that will be the place you stitch. You may use a ruler and pen/pencil to mark that pressed mark so it is more visible when you start to stitch it.

 Simply pull the project together that you are working on, whether it be a table runner or a large quilt, you will want to pull the binding and under the needle of your machine so you can stitch the line that is marked over the pressed spot on your binding.

 Almost done.  You will need to trim the "tail" off, leaving about a quarter inch of fabric behind. Press and then you will finish stitching the binding to the back of the project.

As you can see, I finished stitching the binding down to the back side of the project.

I also stitch the front side of my bindings on using a decorative machine stitch.

 Merry (belated) Christmas and a Happy New Year!

*order restores creativity (to me)

I posted this picture months ago and I have been working towards getting all of my unfinished projects completed. I have done pretty good at knocking them out.  Over half completed, that isn't bad! I also started two other projects that were finished and sent out in addition to those above and I have one in the works right now that I started last week. It will likely soon go into a UFO stack.. because I have another project I need to start addressing my attention to. The Chicken Quilt.  At some later point you will learn about the chicken quilt whether you care to or not. 

I have worked on quilts pretty regularly this year, in and out of yard work, gardening, and all duties "farmish".  Basically that is all I did, work on the quilt at hand.. not really cleaning up and reorganizing well after each finished project. I can operate this way for a little while, then it starts to suck my creativity away.  You know, we all need a fresh new canvas to work with no matter our art medium and boy was it time for a freshening.  The end of this week I began the process of reorganizing and throwing out and cleaning up, etc. 

It started out looking like this a year ago, and over the course of weeks of working on quilts and not really cleaning up it started to look like a hot mess.  I had initially thought of painting the Sewing Room a dark chocolate color, but later decided that I would paint it a brighter color. Unfortunately I had already painted the little corner where this whole set up was located and I was certainly not taking it all down just to paint that corner. It worked well enough to leave it in the dark brown color because of the design of the room, so for the time being, I left it.   However, when I moved the furniture around (I like to move furniture around :(  , I had an opportunity to repaint that part of the Sewing Room. 

I took a few shots of the mess in the midst of the cleaning. My husband, son and companion (Frayja) thought I had lost my mind. Actually it is funny, well not really funny, but I ended up with the worst migraine in a LONG time the night I started this cleaning. It really didn't stress me out, I actually enjoy reorganizing, cleaning like this.  Anyway, enjoy the picture trail of the transformation. 

You will notice I started this process in the morn of the day and didn't finish until late night. I ended up sitting in the room and just reading for a while, enjoying the order that surrounded me. Today, on the other hand, I played with fabric, looked at quilting magazines trying to locate a pattern for the new quilt I must soon start and sipping some ice tea while dreaming of cinnamon scones...

*quilting in the summer

Yes! This summer I have gotten more quilting done! I finally finished the Kay England quilt several weeks ago.

I am really thrilled with this quilt. I chose to use a double layer of batting and I couldn't be happier with the weight of this lovely quilt. I finished it up by stitching in the ditch using as many different decorative stitches as I could. I also "cheated" and put the binding on with my machine as well. 

 This one I started several years ago, all the units were pieced together, then at some point in the move I suppose, I lost the pattern. I had to figure it out, and it looks like I did.  This was a gift for a dear young lady in my life and the number 13 is significant to her, so I appliqued it on the bottom corner.   Isn't it lovely?

 I have always wanted to make a black and white quilt, but just never got around to it.  I found this yellow at a quilt shop for 60% off regular quilt shop prices, so I got a few yards thinking it would be a great addition to the black and white. Each finished block is a large 23 X 23 inches. I still have not figured out exactly how I will lay this one out.  It shouldn't be long though, so I will give you a peek soon!

Happy Sewing!
 

*stamped by Julie

Do you quilt? Do you have cats? If so, do they do this to your projects too.....

It seems that a quilt just isn't a quilt, unless Julie lays on it after it has been set in. After all, I make these cozy things for her to pile up on right?! I am not sure I would know what to do with a quilt that hasn't gotten Julie's stamp of approval.

*a quilt project of the past!

Voices of the Past, Betsy Ross Sampler is almost a project of the past! I started this quilt top a few years ago and have even shared its beginings with you before, HERE .  And the last time you saw the quilt, HERE it was still without borders.  That is not the case any longer! 




This weekend I was able to get the last quilt on my rack pieced together with borders and only awaiting to be set in.  It seems the quilts I started a few  years ago, needed a bit of time to steep.  Their steeping is done as I have just finished setting in the Betsy Ross Sampler this morning. I know have to decide how I am going to quilt it, in the ditch, stipple, etc...

 

 Pattern: Kay England - Voices of the Past, Betsy Ross Sampler

Since I am all caught up on finished quilt tops, I am now set out to finish putting together some of the partially pieced projects I have laying about.  Happy sewing!

*congratulations

Congratulations Graduate!

And congratulations to me, I finished the graduates quilt just this morning. She graduated a few hours ago on this beautiful night. How is that for timing? There is nothing like finishing something in the eleventh hour!

Henry's sweet girlfriend graduated tonight with honors.  She is well rounded student and has been accepted at the college of her choice and will leave for college in August.  She will be an attribute to the college she will be a part of and surely a positive asset in the classroom, on the field, and amongst the young people she will become friends with.

I started her present, a chevron pattern quilt just over a week ago.  Due to the intense hot weather here, I have spent most of my time this week indoors sewing.  It all worked out really well actually. I did not plan to have the quilt finished by her graduation day, but had set myself a deadline for some time around the time she will leave for college.   You can image  my delight when it all came together completely this morning.   I hope she loves it as much as I do.  I was totally pleased with the outcome!

Again, Congratulations to all the graduates of 2012 all around the nation!  You all have worked hard and all that hard work has paid off. May your futures be bright and filled with challenges that will cause you to grow into sound, mature parts of society!