Finish and progress

This week's finish is brought to you by Daine's Cotton Shop in Provo, UT. I went there to shop Row by Row Experience, for a pattern and a kit to swap. I was also looking a for a baby panel.

I found out just a few weeks ago, that my manager and his wife are not only expecting a baby girl, but he is also starting a new job at another hospital in our network....half the state away, in Southern Utah. So they are moving! I thought that a fun double-duty gift would be a baby quilt, but it would have to be simpler and less complicated than my usual work--and fast!

I finally found this cute Noah's Ark pre-printed panel, also pre-quilted. It just needed a trim and binding.

But I couldn't just let the sparse, all-over quilting alone. It needed a personal touch! So I outlined the ark, animals, borders, the clouds and rainbow. I even emphasized those adorable animal eyes!  Then I made a binding and applied the binding.

And I happened to be working at the same hospital where my manager has his office, so I finished this little cutie in time to deliver it to him personally, right after I clocked out.

I made him say "proud daddy" instead of "cheese" before I snapped the picture.

What a cute finish!

Other news:

Making progress on making continuous fusible bias binding in green. I'll need it for a few of the Row x Row patterns.

And finally had a chance to get thicker template plastic, so I could start cutting Drunkards Path pieces for Summer Solstice.

The kiddies started school this week, and I've been busting my body, walking them to school and back each day, pushing baby brother in the stroller. I have got to get back to working out!

And I've had a sore throat all week...I'm hoping I'm not getting yet another sinus infection. I'm worn out and sore all over.

My idea of a good, relaxing time on a Saturday night has certainly changed over time: my hubby is on shift at the firestation, so I want to get the kids to bed, put on a favorite movie of mine (not animated), and cut quilt pieces. Ha ha!

Sunday afternoon

I have another wicked sinus infection. Thank goodness for antibiotics, but it's only day 2, so I'm still pretty miserable. Not much energy for doing much, so I'm cuddling on the couch amid blankets and pillows, "tent tables" and boys coloring, while I hand-stitch binding. Pardon the few blurry pictures but my oldest little guy helped me by taking pictures. He loves cameras. He's the one with Autism.

His picture looks like he drew my iris garden that we see outside.

Thank you to all the new friends I'm seeing on my blog and memories I'm hearing about in your comments. They are helping me through not feeling well. I will try to get replies out soon.

Starburst Quilt Along cutting

Hi!
I'm going to do it! Happy Quilting Melissa is hosting a quilt-along--it's a giant star called a Starburst! How can I pass this up?!!!!
Through browsing all of the bundles and collections at Intrepid Thread shop, who is linked with Melissa and put together bundles for her quilt along, I fell in love/obsession with a specific collection. However, I didn't get a lot of hours at work this month, so my hubby told me to wait for a bit longer before ordering.

So in order to jump in and not get too behind, I rummaged and rummaged through my meager stash, added to it, and bought 2 shades of yellow for background fabric. And I will be doing just 1 40" block for now. (*Yes, I have a plan--another baby quilt for another coworker.)

The background fabrics that I'm using for the Starburst, I am using to complete a few projects, such as making the binding for the yellow and gray quilt (see below), and replace the yellow/gold I ran out of doing Sylvia's Bridal Sampler.

(I sacrificed the beautiful Mariners Compass Star for a history high school class quilt project that my cousin is making. She wanted to do a history report with stories about our grandfather--and represent it in a quilt. I felt the star would be great to symbolize my grandfather--and since she had a tight schedule, I had this made up already! Therefore, I need to make another Mariners Compass, but only tiny scraps are left of the golds I used. The new fabric is not going to match.)

Here's the binding I was talking about earlier. I didn't have enough yellow to bind the yellow/gray quilt. I prefer double-fold binding, cut straight, especially for baby quilts or quilts that will see a lot of use; like this one is! I'm so proud that I got all this cutting done today!

I have to say, that joining binding strips in mitered seams is getting easier for me.

 I also have been trying some new notions to help reduce the raveling and twisting of the binding as I'm machine-sewing it on the front of the quilt. This one is called the Binding Buddy, purchased from Annie's Catalog/formerly Clotilde catalog. The spool rotates inside itself, and there are two little loop hooks on the outside of the spool, to tie ribbon onto. Put the ribbon around your neck, and the binding spools off easily! I'm going to test this out, but it's patiently waiting until I get the quilting done.

And P.S., I have less than a week to get my goals done for January:

1--finish the yellow/gray quilt

2 and 3--finish quilting the two firetruck quilts

Belt carriers and Binding

Happy Sunday!
I'm tired, I worked today, and we've all been sick, but things are alright.
I made belt carriers (or belt loops) for my jeans tonight. I got sick of my belt riding up and my waistband sinking down. I have a short torso with a sway back, which means I need to alter all my home sewn pants to have more room in the back rise, and shorter in the front rise. My store-bought jeans need to be lower-rise, but I still need to have a flat belt with D rings (no buckles--they stick out funny!). But, manufacturers never seem to add enough belt loops. I always have to add more for my shape!
I cut strips from old jeans, or from a short cut of lightweight denim or twill. I fold the strips in thirds along the long sides, and press. The strips are usually 1 1/2" wide. Then I use a specialty overlock-type zigzag to secure along the long side, and a straight stitch on the opposite parallel long side. Then I lay the strip next to the carriers already on the pants, leave some room for ease and turn under, and cut into pieces. I straight-stitch each end twice in place on the pants, and zigzag over that.

Next, I'm sewing the binding on the Design Builder baby quilt. I'm using the scraps leftover from the backing of the SBS baby quilt. It's a darker red, but it has tiny stars like the prints in the panel.
I found a cool tutorial on Connectingthreads.com for no-lump beginnings/endings of the binding strip, for sewing it on the quilt.
One thing I found that makes sewing binding sew much easier, is a Binding Buddy, or the Simplicity Binding Maker spools. I make double-fold binding, then wind it around the long bobbin, then tie slip knots in a length of ribbon. Slip the knots over the ends of the spool, and slip it over your head to hang around your neck. The binding spools off the bobbin when you give it a tug, as you need more. Pretty cool, huh! Tame the twisting binding!

Binding and serving

Tonight a neighbor came to my door saying "help! I borrowed a quilt frame to tie my two daughters' jeans quilts; they've finished the tops, but I don't know how to set up the frame with a quilt!" I said "I've tied quilts but they've already been set up when I get there, so I don't know, either!" We called another neighbor, and she met us back at the house, and we all worked together as she showed us how to set it up. It's a great feeling to help someone else with quilting techniques, and learning something yourself in the process! The neighbor who needed help also said she didn't know how to bind quilts, so I said that once the quilts were tied, I could help her with that, too!

I've come down with a sore throat this weekend, and haven't felt well today. Between taking a nap and taking it easy, it's been nice to have an excuse to sit down and do handwork for awhile. Though I don't like feeling sick, it really is fun to spread out a quilt on my lap and cuddle on the recliner or couch with my hubbie and kids, while I hand-finish the binding. My challenge quilt is almost done!