Stitches that Bind

There is something quite relaxing about handstitching and that's what I've been doing this week - stitching bindings.  Binding a quilt can be a bit of a chore for some but I really enjoy it.  I seem to bind my quilts in a different way from most of the ladies in our group.  This is the way I was taught and it's the one I always fall back on - in fact I think I have only tried the mitred corners method a couple of times and I didn't make a good job at all.

I cut my binding strips 2.5inches wide about 2.5inches longer than each side of my quilt joining where necessary.  The strip is then folded in half lengthways and pressed - make sure you don't stretch it.  Then open out the strip and fold the raw edges in to the centre and press again - one side at a time and watch you don't burn your fingers!  Fold the two edges together and press again you have now produced a nice sharp half inch binding. 

Now open out the strip and you have already a nice marked line to follow when stitching.  Beware this step - instead of the usual quarter inch seam you are going to make a half inch seam down one of the folded lines butting the edge of the strip to the edge of your already trimmed quilt.  This is the bit you need to watch out - if you have a pieced border you will lose your points.  So be aware of this.  I rarely have a pieced border (although the the Morris quilts do and I added that extra wee quarter inch to my piano keys so the wee pieces would finish 2ins square when the binding was in place) I  nearly always have a plain outer border and cut it a little wider to accommodate the larger seam allowance.  I do not pin, just hold it firmly in place as I sew leaving a tail over the edge of about an inch, which should be trimmed on the first two sides.  (I sew on short sides first then the long ones.  Do not trim the long sides as you need to leave turning room.) If you pin you have to stop and start as you go and if you don't have a needle down facility on your machine you may get a wavy line instead of a nice straight one

After machining down the strip (using your walking foot) to the front of your quilt turn it to the back and it simply falls into place and easily turns over to the wrong side covering the stitch line and you are ready for pinning or clipping and hand stitching.  The corners are then neatly folded and tucked to make a nice square edge which is slip stitched in place. Have you seen these little buddies  - a really useful addition to your sewing notions.

Another tip when putting on your binding - bindings  tend to be a contrast colour which compliments your quilt and backing.  I always use a thread colour which matches the binding - not the backing.  Your tiny stitches will disappear if you choose a slightly darker thread rather than a lighter one.  This binding was sewn on with dark red thread and not noticeable on the gold backing.

Choose a fine needle too and it will just glide through the fabrics, I have realised I like sewing with a longer needle rather than the tiny quilting needles and tend to use a milliners or straw needle.  Remember needle points do get blunt and need replacing regularly and you should try and change them after each project.  You know it makes sense really but we are all thrifty quilters and always make things last for another project - sewing machine needles, rotary cutter blades etc - How often have we thought it will do another wee while - then in fact when we change them the immediate thought is why didn't I do this earlier!  Little handstitching needles are no different.

It's a wild wet and windy morning here and I had hoped I could get some nice outdoor shots of my finished Morris quilts,  which by the way I am really delighted with, however that will need to wait for another day.  I will be binding again next week and making progress with this overflowing bucket of scraps hopefully.

Happy stitching!

 

Another Busy One

Whew! What a busy week but all really enjoyable. Suffice to say I have not been at home for a full day all week so the housework has not been done and I have spent most of today catching up with the ironing - where does it all appear from? I'm sure I didn't put that many loads of washing in the machine.

Never mind,  although I have been out during the day I have managed a few evenings sewing and relaxing in front of my sewing machine.  I have sewn together a very quick and easy baby playmat, still to be sandwiched and quilted.

Frogs, Elephants, Monkeys and Nursery Rhymes

At the beginning of the week I completed top number one from the Best of Morris jelly roll using the blue strips, and made a good start to number 2 the pink version.

The Pink Version

 

My new roll of batting arrived and this afternoon I unpacked it



Nice and Neat

And have managed to cut pieces for the Bunting Quilt, the Playmat and the 2 Morris quilts. The first to be sandwiched will be the Bunting Quilt.  A. has been very patient in waiting for me to put this quilt together so this week I will be concentrating on sandwiching and starting the quilting.  This will take a few sessions in front of the machine as it's about 75 x 60ins.  I think I will be keeping the quilting simple on this one and echoing the bunting shapes.

Well that's coffee break over so I will up load this to blogger and then I better go and see what's next on my To Do list.  Have an enjoyable week and hopefully you too will find some time to relax and stitch. 

Everything is on Hold...........

Sometimes an idea comes into your head and you just need to stop what you are doing and put everything else on hold.  This is what happened to me this week......  

 

Now you may remember when Kim of Biggar Stitches came along to our class a few weeks ago.  Most of us made a purchase or two.  One of the Jelly Rolls on offer was a Moda 'Best of Morris'.  



The hard bit -  Opening up the Roll

 

Kim had made up a small quilt as a sample which was lovely but not really my style, or so I thought at the time, but R decided to buy it and take it home.  Last week R brought it back all sewn together!!  I am sorry I cant show you her picture as I haven't asked her permission but she used this pattern 

 

from Two From One Jelly Roll quilts by Pam and Nicky Lintott.  

This is a lovely book which I have used a few times but has been sitting on my shelf for some time unopened.  As soon as I saw R's quilt I knew the book would be opened when I got home as this was one quilt I had to make.  Now often I make quilts with no recipient in mind, this one will be gifted.

Morris Blocks

 

An elderly uncle recently had a fall and is now recovering following a hip replacement operation and this quilt will be heading his way, hopefully quite soon, to keep him cosy while his mobility is not quite as it should be.

So sadly A's bunting quilt has not been sandwiched (I was really waiting for my new roll of Warm and Natural to be delivered!) I did have the opportunity to give S his little ball which he seemed to like and he sat playing with it for ages with his Grumpa.  The wee mousie on block 6 has been stitched in place - it will soon be June and next month's block will be due.

This week coming is a bit hectic here so I don't imagine I will be doing a lot of stitching. However I will try, I will be continuing making the Morris blocks above.

I hope you are all enjoying your long weekend and the sun is shining wherever you are.

Freemotion Fankle

I've shown you Fishy Fishy before it was quilted a few weeks ago but realise you haven't seen it completed nor have you seen Loopy and its big brother which is not so tightly quilted.

Fishy Fishy

Loopy

and his big Brother

 

Yes I've been doing a bit of freemotion!   I had got myself into a right fankle - tension not right, loops on the back, uneven stitches etc etc.  having taken advice and read lots of blogs and watched lots of YouTube videos I think I finally have turned a corner as they say.  Topstitch needle, polyester threads, fast speed on the needle but slow hand movements.  I now need to work on getting my stitches more uniform and even but I think I'm getting there but ........yes there is always a but isn't there.  I hate doing all the practice pieces that can't be used for anything else I just hate waste.  So I decided to use up odd pieces of fabric and  batting I had lying around - did you know batting is so easy to join? Cut neatly and sewn with a zig zag or similar stitch, butting two straight edges together the join is not seen when sandwiched between top and backing.

I have also been using cottons from that Scandinavian shop, yes you know the one - cheap, cheerful and ideal for trying out my freemotion.  It often has a looser weave and it's not quite as good quality as proper quilting fabric however just look out for the better quality pieces, some of it is wider than the 42" too and therefore good as a backing.

......and the back

I turned these EPP (English paper pieced) pentagons

pentagons a change from hexis

Into this little ball for S.  our little grandson who is now 5 months old and sitting up quite steadily all on his own on his playmat playing with his toys.  This ball is a smaller version than the one I made at Christmas and has a rattle inside instead of a bell.  I hope he likes it.

I will continue with block 6 this week - here's my little mousie in the making she's not stitched down yet

Miss Mouse

 

And I hope to continue with A's bunting quilt which now has its borders on and is ready to be sandwiched and quilted

Hmmm - I think I've done pretty well this week again. I hope you all have a productive week whatever you are planning.

A Good Week

I'm feeling quite proud of myself this week. I have managed this

And this

And this 

And have only got this 

Left over, a handful of scraps which can sit on a six and a half square ruler - that's an achievement!  And I know somebody who could probably use them for her EPP project too so that's a bonus.

In the still of the evening I took the photo of the Midnight Lace T Intersection Quilt, it was cool but the colours in the garden in the fading light were lovely.  I just had to take a shot of the  Rhododendrons which are just about to burst into a riot of colour. Hopefully a little bit of heat this week will make them open even further.

I feel as though I have achieved a lot this week, the summerhouse has been swept, clean and tidied up ready to sit in and enjoy the garden. (I have to confess hubby cleaned it out this afternoon). Toes in the Sand has been put away meantime but the left over scraps may be forming a plan in my head.  The Bunting Quilt has been returned with a lovely supply of fabric for the borders, backing and binding.  I have a request to make another pentagon ball, so it's being hand stitched. Of course I need to press on with Block 6 too.  Plenty projects for me to choose from this week.  How about you? Do you have crafty plans for the week ahead?  If you do enjoy the peace sewing brings, have a good week.

Whew - lots of progress, oh and I nearly forgot,  I even made R a cushion to go with his quilt.

Two Tops Complete

Two tops complete this week!  And if you are reading this as one of our class members, don't read any further as they will be part of my Show and Tell on Tuesday this week.  

I was shamed into finishing the Toes in the Sand top by C, well not exactly - it was time, she too has the pattern for this quilt and was keen to hear about its progress.  Well........this was a block of the month kit I bought way back in October 2013. 

My Finished Top with the Pattern

I mentioned it here and here.  It started off very confusingly with a big mix up - not blaming anyone but I thought I was buying the block of the month kit which included the pattern book Eh no! So that was an extra purchase, I did know though that I had to purchase separately the specialist Hex and More ruler.  (Which I can recommend for all sizes of hexis, half hexis and triangles of various sizes). Then there was the mix up over the amount being taken each month from my bank account which had to be sorted out too.  As the monthly packages dropped though my letter box each month I was getting a bit more disheartened.  They were neatly folded and packed in little cellophane bags all very nice but......

The Little Cellophane Bags - not so neat now but with all the left over scraps (what will I do with them?)

 

...... as the months progressed I had the feeling I had bought something I didn't like.  I was enjoying making the triangular blocks - but I didn't like the fabrics.  Liberty prints were mixed with ditsy prints, voiles with heavier fabrics, oakshott type woven with whale prints and primitive snowmen, sea urchins and batiks. A very eclectic mixture which in my eyes just didn't gel together.  However I had started and too late to change things around or swap out the materials. I eventually pieced all the blocks but then all 24 triangular blocks lay in the basket.  Frequently I would look through them and return them to the shelf.  Yes here it is on the second shelf, next to the Farmers Wifey blocks and above the Night before Christmas WIP's

My WIP Baskets

I took the bull by the horns this week and ran into yet another issue when cutting the white background triangles.   I think most quilters cut their shapes with double fabric as it comes off the bolt and I'm no exception.  Beware!!  I started cutting and very quickly realised I was not going to get the number of triangles out each strip as required due to a rather large printed black name on the selvedge.  To do this without a huge waste of fabric and also running out of said fabric supplied, each triangle had to be cut out individually!!  There have been a lot of pitfalls with this kit but I may do some of the individual triangles in the future - I also think it will make a lovely scrappy quilt or perhaps a multicoloured rainbow one to use up some of the smaller pieces in your stash or even a Fat eighth bundle.  It's now all squared up and will probably go into the display case until I summon up enough courage to sandwich and quilt it - it's only taken me 18 months so far to get to this stage.  I don't think I will buy a block of the month kit like this again.  I have just proven to myself (as if I didn't already know) that I like to choose my own fabrics and colour combinations.

The second top was produced using a piece of fabric found on its own in a package at the bottom of my wardrobe.  Now this fabric is old, I think I made a cushion for my elder son when he was younger and long before I started quilting.  I fussy cut the fishes and turned it into a quick Exploding Block.  Yes I know I had had my fill of this block but it was just crying out for this fabric.  Result! teamed with a nice bright stripey yellow fabric for the border yet another Linus quilt almost complete.  It's now sandwiched and ready to be quilted.  I am sure it will be treasured by a little one. 

I didn't manage the spring clean of the summerhouse this week and it looks quite forlorn this morning in the cold, damp and wet.  The acers are beginning to burst their leaves, bright against the grey sky,  hopefully the garden will soon have some colour again and it will be warm enough for us to sit in the sunshine.

Until next week, enjoy what's left of the holiday weekend.

   

A Quilt For My Nephew

My 11 year old nephew was due to get a new quilt.  I have made a couple for him in the past, both of which he still has and are still used.  They were both made as  playmats for his cars and construction vehicles when he was much younger.  One stayed at home and the other was left at Gran and Papa's.

I thought it was time he had a change.  He is a big fan of Transformers and has a few of the characters which 'transform' into cars.  Although I am not an expert I believe there are films, games and all sorts of toys.  I was lucky enough to purchase some fabric recently.  When the lady from Linus visited our group to collect some quilts we had made for the charity, she brought along some fabrics and quilts which had been made especially for boys.  Transformers was one of the prints and as soon as I saw it I knew I just had to make a quilt using thus fabric for R.

I am really pleased with the outcome, I fussy cut Optimus Prime and Bumblebee I used bright solids sandwiched between black and grey to break things up.  R was delighted with the cosy quilt which has a nice red fleece on the back.  He immediately wanted to take it to show all his friends.  The only disappointment was I hadn't included 'Ratchet' who apparently is the mechanic who fixes the others when they are broken.  Oops!  I'll need to see if I can find a picture of him to print on the backing of the cushion cover I am in the midst of making with the leftovers. I even managed a photo outside this week.

The Zandra Rhodes Midnight Lace fabrics are coming together nicely using the T intersection pattern as shown on the Missouri Star Quilt Co Tutorial.  I added another solid teal fabric from my stash  to break things up - too many patterned fabrics were making me dizzy.  The blocks were put together totally randomly - not an easy thing to do if you are a quilter.  It's a well known fact quilters don't do random, we always try to match things up.

The top is almost complete so I might manage a photo of it for next week.

We have been lucky this week and have been able to enjoy nice bright days and glorious sunshine.  I even managed my morning coffee in the summerhouse, although I was sitting amidst the winter debris and cobwebs.  That is this week's project - to give it a good spring clean, dust down the cobwebs and return it from the winter storage dumping ground to what it should be - a nice place to sit in the garden for morning coffee, afternoon tea, or a quiet half hour stitching or reading.  

Enjoy your week ahead.