Friday

Yeah!

Quilt for Granddaughter is finally complete!

 Vacations, wedding stuff, family stuff

ALL got in the way as this one sat folded up

WAITING to be quilted.....

and BOUND.

I used some gingham for the binding.

LOVE that piece of fabric!

I'll be sad when the LAST of it is used up!

Now my granddaughter can be

COVERED UP

in her new BIG girl bed!!!

 

 

 

I've also been knitting rows

on this baby afghan.

This is the kind of thing that TRAVELS!!

Gotta LOVE handwork!

 

One of these days....cough cough sputter sputter....

it'll be done too!

 

*****************

thoughts on how to GET things done!

*****************

I was asked about how I get so much done

and WHEN do I find the time??

 

I FIT it in.

I give myself DEADLINES.

I give myself GOALS.

I don't watch Television.

I DO knit in the evenings (recently)

and solve crime with netflix.  ;)

I can usually solve the mystery in about 45 minutes.

LOL!

I have 2 children with special needs.

I take handwork to every Doctor appt.

I'm home more than most, I think.

I don't do as much housecleaning as I should.

Making stuff is IN ME!

I have to MAKE.

BLOGGING about what I MAKE

adds to the PLEASURE!

It adds a FRIENDLY aspect!

Thanks for being my friend here.

 

 

 

 

Plaids and Plans

I am NOT a planner.

Especially when it comes to QUILTS!

 

I frequently move ahead without knowing the end result!

I LOVE the adventure of it ALL!

I even GUESStiMATE when it comes to cutting the binding.

 

Do you calculate?

Most people do!

LOL!

Guess I like to live DANGEROUSLY!

 

 

I find a LIKELY suspect fabric

and begin cutting.

Sometimes I GUESS correctly, like I did THIS TIME!....

and sometimes I DON'T!

"Eyeballing" is NOT an exact science.

 

I had that TINY leftover piece on the right

when I was done cutting the binding!

Amazing.

It was the perfect choice for this quilt.

I'm glad I had JUST the right amount!

 

 

I quilted this one with diagonal lines.

If you're new to quilting/sewing

It's good to note that the diagonals

are also the BIAS of the fabric.

Bias is forgiving.

It bends where you need it to bend

and lets you quilt across without too much trouble!

I've found that if I quilt STRAIGHT lines

along the straight of the grain...

the fabric sometimes wants to pucker!

I haven't tried it in a while...

MAYBE I've improved?????

 

When I follow the BIAS....

it PLAYS nice

and gives a little.

;)

I need ALL the help I can GET!

 

Quilting on the go!

Aren't those stitches pretty?

I love simple cross hatching.

Since the squares are only 2"...

I was able to "eye-ball" the stitching lines.

Another PLUS in MY book!

I hand quilted this

and took it everywhere I WENT this summer!

I almost finished hand stitching the binding

at swimming lessons today!

YEP!

I fit quilting in WHEREVER I go!

;)

Since it's been so hot here...

I was really wishing I was the student in THAT POOL

Instead of the MOM with the QUILT on her LAP!!!!

LOL!!!

This is sure a SWEET quilt!

I can't deny these colors make me HAPPY!

The nice tangerine backing and green binding

are favorites of mine TOO!!!

Since this quilt HAS been traveling,

it's acquired a couple of little "spots".

I hope they come out with some soap and water.

Otherwise.....

This Sweet little treasure just might end up

BEING  MINE!!!!

:0

Binding 101

This is all about binding.

I'm documenting this mostly for a friend

who asked the favor.....

And for anyone else who wants to know

the ins and outs of how I make a continuous binding.

I've seen other tutorials on this...

but they were slightly different than my way.

So....

 I guess I'm adding my TWO cents

to the blogosphere.

;)

I begin with a 2 1/2" strip

usually cut selvage to selvage

Pieced the length I need and pressed in half.

UNLESS.....

I'm going to do a fancy scalloped edge!

If that's the case, I cut the strips on the bias

so they will easily curve as I sew.

I begin attaching the binding in the middle of the side of the quilt

Leaving a nice long tail.....10" or so.

Oops!

Looks like I was in a hurry here and didn't put the walking foot on.

:0

I'm attaching the binding to the FRONT of this quilt

because I'm going to turn it over and

HAND stitch it to the back.

Often times I attach the binding to the BACK

and then roll it over to the front,

top stitching it down with my machine...

especially quilts that I donate.

Here's the corner.

STOP about 1/4" before you get there

and.....

make a little diagonal stitch to corner.

Did you notice my binding is not RIGHT next to the edge?

I kind of like having that extra filling there in the binding.

fold up.

Fold down....right there on the corner.

Begin stitching again.....

Only 3 more corners to go!

When you get close the end....

STOP.

You should have two tails.

10" or so long.

Trim the left side of the binding

 working in the middle of your unsewn section.

Fold the right side of the binding back.

You should have an EDGE (on the left)

meeting a FOLD (on the right).

MEASURE.

2 1/2" from the fold

and draw a line....

Then TRIM.

Your binding should now be EXACTLY

2 1/2" longer than the measurements of your quilt.

Question:

What if you cut your binding 2 3/4" instead of 2 1/2"???

Answer:

You would cut the binding

2 3/4" Longer.

This is why you have LONG tails.

We need some room to WORK. ;)

These are the ends of your binding.

Put them right sides together at a right angle....

making sure it's not twisted!

Pin.

Draw a diagonal line.

Sew and trim.

Before you trim....check that you did it right!

Oh good!!!

It worked.

Pin and finish sewing your binding on!!!!

No one will ever know

where you began....

or...

where you ended!!!

They will just know that you loved them....

Because you made them a quilt!!!