Well, this is a down to the wire finish! I'm talking about the quilt for the January Book of the Month. I chose Quick Column Quilts, and finally got a chance to work on the quilt late this week. Nothing like putting it off to the end of the month! But it's finished and it's awesome!
This is the pattern Quilt to Give, and was super fun and easy to put together! It will definitely go in my file of quick quilts to use up fabric.
Starting with strip sets,
I kept some in groups of four, and most in groups of two. That way, I could mix up the strip order so that it didn't all look the same after cutting.
Here's the cut strips for the quilt, all lined up and ready to go.
From this point, it was just a bunch of long strip sewing to complete the top. Pretty fast!
This quilt has a star theme, as all fabrics have stars in them.
Who knew I had so many??? And hardly a dent made in the yardage! Guess I should have made it bigger if that was the goal, but again, hubby needs a baby boy quilt. So this measures 42" x 45". And the quilting? Stars of course!
Now I will say, I had a hard time following the directions in this book. The patterns are really nice, but the explanations are too wordy. Took me a while to figure out what sizes to cut. And a baby quilt size wasn't offered, so had to figure that out myself. But still, I like the book and would like to make some of the others as they are very attractive. I definitely won't give up on this book!
Tomorrow begins February, and yet another book selection. Until then, Happy Quilting!
I just love decorating my house for any holiday that comes around, and Valentine's Day is no exception! To celebrate, I've created Love Abounds, a beautiful heart table runner!
Made with appliqued pink batiks on Kona Snow, this gorgeous display of love melts my heart!
The small (1/2" inch) background crosshatch quilting sets off the beauty of the hearts,
and their McTavish style fill.
Quick and easy to put together with fusible applique, the runner finishes at 16" x 42", perfect for any table. If you would like to celebrate Valentine's Day with these beautiful hearts, a pattern is available at Etsy - just click on the pink and it will take you there!
Check out the solid color version!
Happy Valentine's Day!
Last week, I talked about two different binding methods that didn't distract from the piecing of the quilt. The first was Two Color Binding, used on Interlude. Today, it's Matching Binding to the Piecing, which was used on Simply Woven Version and O Tannenbaum!.
This technique was especially useful on O Tannenbaum! because of the high contrast piecing.
White binding would have detracted in the red area, just as red binding would have been a disaster in the white. This table topper is so strong visually, that the binding really needs to match.
So, here's a tutorial on how to match that binding, using the Simply Woven Version quilt as the example.
Start with enough binding to cover the piecing colors in the quilt, stitching all of same color together. In the picture below, I have two lengths of each color just so it's a bit less to handle.
Using one length of each color, sew them together end to end, using a straight seam versus the normal corner to corner. Do this only once - don't sew all the lengths together.
Press the seam to one side. There is a bit more bulk this way, but the seam is less likely to pull apart.
Match this seam with the piecing,
and stitch 6-8 stitches to test alignment.
Well done!
Oh, how I love that trick!!
Cut the binding above the first matching point, approximately 8-12". Notice I have 2 1/2" inches folded back in the picture.
This becomes the final joining point. See my tutorial on Joining Binding in 3 Easy Steps to easily make this join.
Continue attaching the binding, and stop within 4-6 inches of the next color change in the piecing. Because I've turned the corner, my working binding is tight, but manageable at a 3" length.
Lay out the binding and mark with a pin where the piecing color change is.
With right sides together, stitch the other color to the attached binding, end to end, again using a straight seam.
Check that the binding seam matches the piecing seam, and that the binding is flat and snug.
Trim off the excess, and take the 6-8 stitches to check the match.
Another stunning match!
Keep attaching the binding, repeating the matching process. Finish with the final join, using the same color binding. Don't try to make the final join one of the color change points. It's not worth the frustration!
Finish the binding by machine or by hand, and enjoy your quilt!
Have a wonderful day quilting!
