Binding Stage

I am putting the binding on my quilt.  I love this stage. It signifies that the end is in sight and after hours of work, I will finally have a finished product. Right after the sleeve goes on=)

What I always have trouble on is squaring it up and getting it to hang flat. I use my special 90 degree steel ruler that carpenters use, but still can't get it quite perfect.

I try very hard not to pull the binding too tight so the corners don't curl, and so it hangs without ripples.

This is the best binding tutorial I have ever seen!

Quilting Is Done!

I finished!   I spent the last few weeks grabbing minutes when I could to finish the free motion quilting on my latest leaves quilt. It was white thread on white fabric. And I didn't have a plan, just quilted whatever design popped into my head at that moment.

I was a bit worried that I would get bored without any use of colour but it wasn't until I had only 20 minutes of quilting left that I thought how much fun it would be to be using pink!  For the most part though, I was concentrating so hard on the design that I didn't focus on the colour.

Now I have to bury threads, cut, square and bind.

Now if you want to see more quilt eye candy, check out the winners from Houston this year!

A Cute Block And Panic Setting In...

Let's start with the good stuff first, shall we?

I was invited to make a block for a friend of mine who is getting a quilt.   The block idea given to me was my provincial flower which is a trillium.  With copyright laws, I couldn't find a photo to show you.  It is a white flower with a yellow centre and green leaves.  

I decided I wanted mine to be a little 3D=)  Stop laughing, you didn't think I would make it flat did you?

Starting with 2 layers of fabric and batting behind it, I free motioned the shape of it and then filled it in with lots of thread.  

Here is a close up.   Yes, I decided I didn't like the yellow and put pink in the centre instead.  I outlined the flower in yellow thread.    

I then cut away really close to the thread and made three green leaves.   I chose a yellow background for the flower and machine stitched the flower on with more yellow outlining thread.  The leaves were hand appliqued on.  Yes, hand applique.   I know, very mature of me.   I haven't even told you the best part yet.   The whole thing was done using my fancy thread!   I am on fire with this stuff.

Do you like it?   Please don't say no, cause I haven't even told you about the panic and you saying you don't like it may send me over the quilters' edge.   Is there even such a thing?  I may find out.

Anyway, this is the panic, I have 4 deadlines and my kids are done school in 8 days.   It is very difficult to concentrate when they are home.   Very. Difficult.   

I am slightly stressed I won't get it done before they are off.   I don't think the teachers would appreciate me asking to send them back for an extra week while I finish my quilts.   Got any tips for cramming alot of quilting/meeting deadlines in a short time?   Yes, coffee and chocolate are already at the top of my list.   

Quilting Done!

I have spent almost a week quilting  and I finally finished it.   There are still threads to be buried, binding to be put on, and my 3D embellishments to be attached.  But I think the end is in sight.

I always get stuck on what pattern to use where and what colours to use.   Often I try and squeeze in as many FMQ patterns as room allows and use as many colours as the quilt possesses.   This time I didn't.   

I decided to just go with my gut instinct and hope to heck the jury panel agrees=)  I chose 2 colours, red and blue.  Okay, the blue is a gorgeous variegated blue.   

I used feathers in all the blue strips and circles and wandering flowers everywhere else.

The deadline I had given myself is December 1st as there are some other projects with pressing deadlines looming.  I will probably go over by a day or two, but hopefully not much more.

Quilting Arts Challenge

My friend Cheryl over at the Quilting Arts forum is having a challenge called 'Earth, Water, Fire and Air'.   It is pretty open ended and you just have to make a quilt.

I had this really wild piece of fabric I had dyed and just didn't know what to do with until this challenge came along.   I decided to thread paint my version of fire.   The fabric reminded me of all the forest fires that happen each summer here in Canada.   They literally devastate huge areas of land.   The fires are certainly not pretty little campfires, but huge and massive and angry and destructive.   The fabric reminded me of that.  

I didn't draw out a shape, but let my hand and machine do the drawing.   Please feel free to comment.

Janome Horizon 7700

Do you see this beautiful machine?  

Remember I mentioned I made 2 purchases while I was away at the National Juried Show?   The Electric Quilt 7 software was one...... and this baby was the second!  The Janome Horizon 7700.

This is my first purchase of a brand new machine ever.   Yes, I really did go all out, top of the line, the big shebang.   My most recent machine was a Janome and was 14 years old.   It still works like a top, but boy was it a pain to get a quilt under it to do free motion quilting.   But I love Janome.  I know, everyone has their own preference, and that is great.  Mine just happens to be the big J.

I just finished putting my latest quilt for Riley Blake fabrics under it and quilting it.  There was so much room, it was ridiculous.   And this machine runs amazing.   Of course, I haven't gotten through the whole manual yet, nor tried out all the feet that come with it.   I wanted this machine for the space and free motion quilting and I am not disappointed, more like over the moon elated!



It has the 'start/stop' button instead of the foot pedal.  It has that too, along with a knee controller, but I like the start/stop button for now.   And it has the wonderful needle down/up position.  I get to pick how my needle will stop when I finish.  Trust me when I say, I have had many a loose stitch while free motion quilting because my old machine always had the needle come up.  
This baby even has a tie and cut the thread button!  Yep, that is pretty cool.  I won't be using that when I am doing my art quilts for show, but for just quilting up some quick ones, it is a great feature.


I also got the table that the machine sits into.  And that is very nice.  It is covered with a super slippery surface so my quilts glide on it.  I put my other big super slippery table behind it and things are working well.  


I think I better do up a post of my studio soon, so you can see just how I create.

One last thing, I am reading that everyone names their machines.   Anyone have a great name for me?  There might be a little surprise for whomever comes up with the best name!