and done!

That quilt is now bound, and is ready to land in it's intended destination. I am very happy with how the binding went on.
Any quilt police looking?   no?     well, I overlocked all round the edge before putting the binding on.

As the overlocker's 'bite' is just on 1/4" it gives me a neat finish, to which I can then apply the binding, and as long as my seam allowance is just a tiny tad bigger, the overlocking is hidden, and I have a neat secure edge to work with. 

And here is the back. There is a fun play of reflected sun from my windows on these ones, with the morning sun in my garden. 

I think I can call this one DONE

So how long does a UFO wait?

There are projects. And then, there are PROJECTS.
You get so far and somehow do not make further progress. They stall somewhere between a partial finish and a complete one. So, the first one is a quilt along. From the lovely Crazymomquilts.  Now I know she was doing it in 2008, but I am not certain when DD2 and I decided to have a go. And I have no idea how I came across it.
 So here, I proudly present.... Drum roll..... Trumpets....  our Star quilt!

Here laid out on the sewing room floor. It has many many faults. Points that are nowhere near pointy, seam allowances that wander to and fro, squares that fail in the first requirement- to be square-ish... But, when I look at it all laid out, I feel good!

 and laid on DD2's bed

 All rolled up- that is obligatory isn't it?

And, in the scene of crime!

I shall see if my DD2 can recall when we got it going, but I reckon it is at least 5 years ago.

And then...

This piece of work resurfaced when I was doing a clear out of the sewing room. This is almost a piece of history. It will have been worked in the days before I had children. That places it over 30 years ago. I worked it, and put it away so that I could do something with it - eventually. I am pleased to say, eventually has appeared! I had just finished the quilt, and this sat waiting my pleasure. Now, when I was doing my clearance, I also found a number of oddments of velvet. I thought one of them might just come in for this treasure.. I auditioned a couple of colours, and settled for this one..

I have mitred corners, while ensuring the nap runs correctly, and inserted a zip at the bottom, other than that, keep it simple.
I suspect I shall rehome it with a friend because of the colourway, but it may just quietly sit in the hall here, and grow good.

Two finishes in one day, and just before the next costume marathon begins! Roll on costumes!

a quilt finish

For her birthday, DD2 asked for a quilt. No other requirements, just, Mum, please make me a quilt.
Now the birthday is in early October, and the request came in early September, so, plenty of time to make that quilt, yes?

Well, other than that I also work full time, and have one or two other responsibilities, yes, that is bags of time...

I thought hard about this, but actually, I knew what I wanted to make, and I wanted nice cheery colours,  and to make something she would love despite all the inevitable flaws...

 this is where I started. A simple but scrappy look, And it grew.



slowly I added to it.

and eventually I had thirteen like this...

which needed twelve to go between...

 
to make this.

Put on a spare bed

 and here is the back

and the obligatory rolled up shot..




Did I make the deadline?    well,  not quite.
The little one came home the week after her birthday, and I did manage to get it done for then.

And, I think she likes it.

And I can do that??

How many years have I used a roll cutter? and a cutting mat, and a ruler?? and I get this??

 look like a straight cut to you?


no, not to me either... Good thing it was not critical!




I decided to try doing a quilt as you go type finish on these, but it is slow progress at the moment.

 and I am trying to just go with the flow for these, so a bit of roundy roundy...











and a bit of cross hatching















with perhaps a little square spirals... if you understand me...

and I have achieved four, and one ready to go...

Not quite sure what I do about attaching them, but I left a good margin, so I can have a play... don't hold your breath!

postal surprises..

Who can sew curves, really beautifully? And make a gorgeous mini quilt, with such lovely curved seams, all lying as flat as they should? and then quilt the curves with a lovely modern style, following the curves and really making an item to love? 

And then post that off to a friend, who has not got a clue that it is heading her way! to that friend, as an unexpected surprise!

I can tell you who! it is a lovely lady blogging over at Mail from the Cheeky Monkeys

I can tell you who was shocked and delighted too!

ME!!!!

I was so pleased to receive this wonderful gift! I remember commenting on the blog post where my lovely friend showed this little piece of art, and I remember thinking, someone would be very lucky when it popped through their door- but I did not expect to be the lucky one!

The block she has done here is the mango block, which can be found at a quilters table- another lovely blog which is worth looking in at!

So, what has been lovely in your life today? 

A WIP wiped... or something

I joined the Lazy Bums Finishing School in the hope that the very accomplished Teachers would assist me in completing some work.

And, with a few threats of dire consequences, and a few carrots, and encouraging words, I did indeed turn a UFO into an ..... Oh, dear, I do not think I can write that.... Thinking hard, Perhaps I can say, a Completed Project!


These

assembled themselves, months ago, into, well, nearly a quilt top.
Then were put away as other, more urgent tasks came to hand, until, this month, they became my challenge for August!

And, fully confident, I got it out. And found I was quite a bit short of a top.I had some fabric, but not, in all truth, the right shaped pieces of fabric for completing the top. Let alone, finishing the quilt.

I am a wangler. I will shift things around, and change things a bit, until I get what I have to do what I want, I might add a bit of something else, here, or there, to make it work.

However, on this occasion, I had no need to wangle. Some strange Angel, or fairy Godmother came along and, Hey Presto! through the post, came a parcel... with not only the required Kona Butterscotch, but some extra remnants of gorgeous purple and hot pink Kona, too.

with a sweetie taped to the back of the delivery note...??


So, no wangling required, and between yesterday and today,

I pinned top to fleece for backing...












and quilted and bound my Salt Air very simple top.  I love those 8 pointed stars which appear!


Those middle squares are made from the HST squares left over when I made the blocks..







 I machine bound the quilt, and was quite pleased with how the corners worked..

Starched the whatever out of that binding strip before I started! It really helps.

So, I can officially tell you, Lazy Bums Finishing School does work!


Want to join?




go see these people .

They can help!


Thank You Angel- You know who you are!

If you really want to know...

Materials used

Kona Butterscotch, approx 3m
Salt Air, one Charm pack.
Fleece- 1 piece, as bought by weight...

finished size, 60" by 49"

a good day's work

I have had a friend round today. Well, truth to tell, she is my daughter's friend first. And, she has a baby. A gorgeous young man. Nearly 13 weeks old. And this young lady doesn't sew! No, make that, didn't sew!
 Look what she has accomplished today. 
Choosing fabric, and where it was going.

And then sewing and cutting, and pressing.

 Layering it up, to make that quilt sandwich, and pinning it!

 Quilting it

And trying the not quite finished item for size!

I am hoping she will come round on Sunday to trim and bind this! I think the young Sir likes his new quilty playmat!

he was sooo good. They arrived a little after 10.00, and he played and socialised until about noon. A good bottle of milk, and he was out for the count until about 4.30 this afternoon! and then he let me cuddle and chat while his Mummy got on with the sewing! With a bit of luck he will come with his Mummy on Sunday, and I can have more cuddles!

I do not know about you, but I think that is amazing for a complete- as in never touched a sewing machine before- novice!  I think she may do more.