Monday, March 30, 2020
QUILTING THE GEESE AND HALF STAR
I have mentioned a number of times that I simply cannot master free motion quilting. I took a class for a full week with out much success. I know that practice would improve that skill, but frankly I just get bored and move on to something fun. However, I have learned a number of ways to get around this issue.
Bernina offers a number of mini classes on their newsletters and I took note of one a while back. I do love the mini quilting idea and after looking through the class using your decorative stitches I made my self a notebook of stitches that I might use.
And I began quilting my geese and half star wall hanging. Once I had started I found it was coming along really nicely.
The geese side is nearly done with stitch #680 14.1 by 9.0 on my Bernina B750. I am pleased with the outcome.
Not sure what I plan to do on the half star side. I am thinking straight line quilting.
As so many of us are stuck in the house due to the Corona virus, we are still encouraged to take a walk out in the fresh air. These California poppies along the way made for a bright spot in the day.
Monday, March 23, 2020
CORONA VIRUS CABIN FEVER
Like so many here in the United States and other countries too I am hunkered down at home. After a week or two one gets a bit stir crazy and decides to take on a sewing task that has been put off for over a year. And, an insane one at that.
Last winter I decided my king size comforter and cover was way to heavy and large. This winter I used our guest double bed comforter and it worked really well. So I decided to tackle the task for taking that king size comforter and cover down a good 20 plus inches all the way around. Thank goodness the filling of the comforter is not feathers and was divided up with stitching about every 10 inches or so. I just started cutting and turning under edges.
However, the cover itself was a whole other task. It basically had to be taken apart and completely remade. I could have bought the cover in a smaller size, it was still available. However, the original cover cost a near fortune and the smaller size wasn't much cheaper. I figured the worse case was I could always scrap it and buy the replacement if things really got bad.
Things worked out very well, and I am just cutting down and pinning the last size seam.
And the finished product. It just covers the top of the bed with little hang over on sides or bottom.
Now I am back to working on something a bit more fun. One of the last rows of my SOS Charity Guy Quilts for my guild.
Just a few more rows to add and its done and on to something else.
We ran a gift out for my daughter's husband's birthday this week and walked around the property for a bit keeping our 6 feet distance as directed by our state governor. For those fans of my daughter's pets, meet Colonel Sanders having a nice dust bath in the afternoon sun.
And his lady friend. My daughter picked them up off the highway on the way home one afternoon before they became chicken patties in the roadway. They are a bit on forced separation from the rest of the chicken gang right now as the Colonel is the jeolous type and picks fights with the other rooster when he comes near her. Who can blame him she is quite the beauty at least he thinks so.
Monday, March 16, 2020
MACHINE BINDING
Over the last few months I have been busy making table runners and placemats for my quilt guild's boutique booth at our quilt show coming up in January 2021. I made about 50 table runner late last year and now have been adding a few more to that. Sewing binding by hand just didn't seem reasonable, so originally I sewed them down by machine in the ditch. That takes a lot of ver precise sewing and it was a slow process. So just recently I decided on a faster way that still looks nice. And it seems to really work well.
The front of the runners have this nice straight line that looks nice.
The back of the binding also looks nice too.
And even the corners came out nicely.
And the trick is this little baby. I have a Bernina and this #10 foot labeled edge stitcher works great. I just run that middle blade down the ditch on the front of the runner and move my needle over two or three clicks. I pin my bindings down from the front and within just 5 minutes I and done. I do know that the feet are called several different names. There are feet called Overcast or Blindstitch that are very similar and can be used. My Janome didn't have one so I was able to find one on Madam Sew on the internet. They have every foot you could want and more and adapters that fit most machines.
Now I know that binding this way is not the thing for a nice quilt, but for runners and placemats that get washed a good deal it does work well.
For those fans of my daughters peacocks. This is a picture of her front porch and notice the peacocks that seem to think they are gargoyles. My other daughter arrived at the house and couldn't help but laugh at them and said they reminded her of gargoyles on ancient building in Europe, and snapped a photo of them.
The front of the runners have this nice straight line that looks nice.
Now I know that binding this way is not the thing for a nice quilt, but for runners and placemats that get washed a good deal it does work well.
Monday, March 9, 2020
GROWN UP BACK PACKS
My VBF Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts shared her Meadow Whispers Backpack a couple weeks ago. I thought it was a great idea for myself. I often prefer not to haul a handbag around and this seemed like a nice idea for me to use when out and about at quilt related events. I purchased the pattern from her Etsy shop and I was ready to go.
What really got me interested was I had this cork I purchased and seeing Brooke's with the cork bottom really made me think this would be a great adult backpack idea.
Brooke's pattern direction with color pictures are very easy to follow and in no time at all I had my backpack put together.
And here it is all done. It took me two short afternoons and one minor trip to the fabric store for the twill tape. It is lined with a zipper pocket inside as well. It only used three fat quarters for the outside and a small strip of cork. A half yard of fabric for the lining and the zipper pocket inside was plenty to finish them off. I think this would be a perfect children's backpack idea too.
Spring has arrived in our area. The almond trees are in full bloom. Nice to have winter weather almost over, although a little more rain would be nice.
Monday, March 2, 2020
OUT WITH THE OLD IN WITH THE NEW
I was searching for a piece of felt this past week for one of my folio projects and came came across this large hunk of odd fabric.
I bought it ages ago, at least 20 plus years or more. It isn't actually quilted, but has the impression of quilting. It is also quite heavy.
The back side is just this white thread. I had about two yards of the stuff and it is rather bulky so I decided it might be nice to make some bags out of it and get it out of the bin.
I cut out three pieces 19 wide by 44 inches long. Enough to make three bags and be rid of it. It seemed like they would be rather plain so I thought it might be nice to put something on the front of them. I ended up making a 12 inch star block. I turned under the four sides a half inch and it was a perfect idea to decorate the front of the bags.
I sewed the blocks on to the front of the bags. Bought some handle material and finished off the three.
And the finished product. I think these will do well at my quilt shows boutique in January. I did line them as well to give them a finished look.
I also finished up a third folio this past week as well. These have been such fun. I will say that this one was a bit of a chore with so many different compartments and pockets. Is was supposed to have a pin cushion in it, but I figured the felt pin area was fine for a this little travel tool kit.
The best part of this one is in folds up into this nice little handy take with you tool kit.
Sorry no peacocks this week, just Peaches my daughter's gentleman duck helping out with the gardening chores. Marvin his lady is in the fuzzy background. And yes, their names should be switched. My grandson's named them when they were little ducklings, and once grown up they discovered their names didn't match properly, but refused to switch them. They each knew their names and would come when you called them.
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