Gone To Long

I have had a busy last four days. I won't bore you with the details. Some traveling, shopping, cleaning, sewing and paying bills.

I got to work on my UFO on Sunday. I have some pictures to show some of the process. Before I go through those I thought I would just share some information about this technique that I have learned.

First, it is a great way to use up those strips of batting that you have left over from quilts that were not big enough to use all the batting.

Second, this technique is great for straight stitching with the walking foot. I did a lot of stopping and starting on the blocks. I felt like the blocks needed that kind of quilting as compared to free motion quilting.
Third, I had read but forgot as I was quilting that you do not want to quilt at least a half inch of the edge of the rows or blocks because that is where you will be sewing them together. I had to rip out some quilting. So once I get the quilt put together then I will go back and finish the quilting.

Overall I like this technique when I want to do the quilting myself.

This first picture is showing the batting trimmed to the edge of the row and the backing trimmed half an inch from the edge of the row.

This picture show the rows pinned together with one side of the batting. The batting is from the top side is pinned to the rows. When I sew the rows together I put the batting down on the feed dogs.

After the rows are sewn together the batting that was not sewn down is now trimmed so that the edges meet. After that, the I fold one side of the fabric down and then the other side on top of that. Fold under the edge of the fabric and hand stitch it closed. Then I will finish the quilting. I had a picture of the sides folded and pinned but you really could not see the fold because of the fabric pattern. So now I am sewing the backside rows together and then I will be ready for the binding. Yippee!! I will show it when is done. I have to have it done by next Monday night when my guild meets.

It has taken up a lot of my applique time but I have finished two of these blocks for my tree skirt. Now I need to make two more of these in reverse. This is wool applique so it goes pretty fast. It is just a matter of sitting down to stitch. ( I forgot the bird legs, oops. I'll show a picture later with legs)

Check out this web site for a free applique pattern. It is a very pretty quilt. http://www.rjrfabrics.com/patterns/download_pattern.cfm?psID=374

Check out this Halloween Baltimore style quilt. I just love the border idea. It is genius. http://www.honeybeefabrics.com/store/products/details/?product=BalHalBOM

Here is another very cute house quilt. Anne Sutton has the cutest patterns. I have several of her patterns. My brain is swirling with ideas for the cottage quilt. http://www.shabbyfabrics.com/store/products/details/?product=autumn+house+bom

With Passion, Carrie P.