Quilts

The rains of April and May seemed almost incessant. Surely there were days when the sun returned for at least a few hours, but puddles lingered in the lane and the meadow path squelched beneath booted feet. 

At such times there is the joy of reading until I am cross-eyed, baking, preparing for my duties at church, family research, appreciating the companionship of my cats.

As inclement weather prevailed I tackled my fabric stash and finished three quilts;  having a visible accomplishment makes me feel that I have done something.

I have several drawers filled with neatly folded coordinated 'lines' of Moda fine quilting cottons. I have also moved from one house to another with bins and boxes of scraps and remnants too good to throw out. 

Jim's cousin, Gloria who excels at artistic machine quilting, challenged me to make a scrap quilt pattern referred to as a 'potato chip' quilt. The idea is that one cuts fabric remnants in 

2 1/2 inch strips, then chops the strips to make the 'patches' for what becomes a 12 inch block. The quilter is meant to pull these bits at random and stitch them together without much concern for color placement.

I am too OCD to be random! 

I cut center strips from two shades of rose, then sliced a variety of floral prints that had been around for longer than I like to recall. The pattern then took shape as a variation of 'Courthouse Steps'

I give names to my quilts and this one became 'Courtyard Gardens.'

It was machine quilted by a local woman who produces a repeating design of loops, working on a Singer industrial machine. It isn't the creative long-arm machine quilting that I've had access to in the past, but it is neat and sturdy. 

Border and binding.

The purist method of finishing a quilt binding is to apply the folded strip to the front of the quilt, turn it to the back and secure with small hand stitches.

I can do that and have done it on special quilts. As well as finishing a quilt it finishes me for several days of aching neck and shoulders!

I've watched online tutorials and tried a number of methods for machine binding. I wasn't happy with the corners on the above quilt although I managed to make them sturdy. 

I set my Janome 6600 for a 'pick stitch' which ran close to the folded edge of the binding. 

The quilt has been presented to a friend who needed a quilty hug.

Garden Plots and Paths

Although simple--12-patch blocks made with 3 inch finished squares, this was time consuming. I found a cache of squares cut--who knows when--for another project, rummaged out more bits and pieces. I think it took nearly as much time to sort, press and cut as it did for stitching. Again, I fussed over the colors and prints that made up each block. The 'paths' are made of a quiet marbled fabric used in a previous project. 

I am pleased with this machine-finished binding. The corners mitered neatly. I used a decorative stitch on the Janome.

Daughter Gina has delivered the quilt to its new owner--sister to the recipient of the first quilt. 

I think of these as 'every day' quilts, also as gifts of friendship.

Rosie is an apprentice quilt maker. She is enthralled with the process from sorting fabric, poking at rulers and rotary cutters [which I discourage] to sitting on the table alongside my Elna while I am piecing. 

Best of all in Rosie's mind is when the plump bundle of the quilt is ready for the binding--its a rather tedious task which involves stitching three times around the perimeter of the quilt--once as stay stitching [as the machine quilter doesn't baste the edges--some do that which is helpful.] The second stitching applies the binding to the quilt; the 3rd trip around is the finish, visible on the right side of the quilt. In spite of my new spectacles I tend to work with my nose in dangerous proximity to the needle.

Framed Pinwheels

I began piecing this one in March having found a pile of half/square triangles languishing in a box. I made more, using scraps of my favorite 'primitive' colors for both pinwheels and sashing. 

Although it has been back from the machine quilter for two weeks I have procrastinated about tackling the binding. It is king size. My 'scrap quilts' have a way of growing!

The long counter in my work space is still fairly uncluttered and I need to at least trim and stay stitch the edges of the quilt, although it likely won't be needed on a bed until October.

By the way: I found a bag of strips left from a 'Log Cabin' project--with Rosie's help they are becoming another quilt!