Beyond the Cherry Trees Progress

I finally got all 25 blocks of my Beyond the Cherry Tree quilt sewn together.  I like the way it has turned out even with all the mistakes.  The biggest one being trimming all the blocks the wrong size and having to redo some of the applique'.
I had a little trouble trying to decide how to lay out this quilt with an odd number of baskets and that one really red block but with a little help from a friend I think it is pretty well balanced.
Although as I look at the picture I might just have to move the second block in the top row somewhere else.  It's starting to bother me.
Now for the borders and all those cherries and leaves.
Happy stitching,
Nancy

NYE 2009

I finally finished the New Years Mystery quilt from 2009. I think it had been hanging in the closet long enough.
This quilt was designed by Ann from the
FabricaholicsAnonymous Yahoo Group.
Another one I can scratch off my list.
Happy Stitching,
Nancy

Just Takes Two & The Farmer's Wife

I caught up with my Just Takes Two blocks.
Is it just me or do the blocks seem to be getting harder and harder?

I also started working on The Farmers Wife.  Randy at Barrister's Block is doing a Sow-A-Long.
I have had this book for some time and just didn't want to take the time to figure out the measurements for each block.  Well, Randy is doing it for us.  She posts the directions for the blocks on the First and third Wendesdays of each month and even gives you all the rotary cutting measurements. She is doing six blocks a month and February was the first month.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

"How DoesYour Garden Grow" is a quilt kit by Pat Wys I started back in 2005.  I had some of the blocks made but none of the applique'.  I wasn't really a fan of applique' back then but over the years I have come to really enjoy doing all types of applique'.

On this quilt I decided to try something I hadn't done before  - Hand applique' by machine.  Instead of using freezer paper to make my shapes I used a wash away fusible material sold by Jenny Haskins called Tearaway Magic.  This material is supposed to dissolve when washed so you don't have to cut your background to remove the paper.

I traced my shapes onto this fusible -cut them out- ironed them to the wrong side of the fabric and used Elmer's glue stick to turn the edges.  I then placed them on the border and used an invisible thread with a very small blind hem stitch to sew them down.
Tearaway Magic makes the pieces quite stiff even more than freezer paper and so it is easy to turn the edges but it is also very nice to sew through.
After making all the pieces and sewing them to the quilt I thought maybe I should have tested this material to see if it really does dissolve.  I always seem to do things in reverse.

Most of it dissolves but it does leave some little fibers which I think add to the applique' as it gives a little body.  I will use this technique again.

I also found a new applique' pattern here to add to my pattern collection.  Take one away- add one - I'll never get to the end this way.

Happy stitching,
Nancy

More UFO'S

I finished a couple of more UFO'S this week.  This first one called Daisy Chain is from Australian Patchwork & Quilting Magazine 2004.  

It only needed some quilting and binding  and I don't know why I put it off for so long.

  I made this quilt when I first started quilting and didn't know much about quit fabric.  All the fabrics  were purchased at  (cover your eyes if you are a fabric snob)  

Jo-Ann's.  

This little alphabet quilt was started when I was at the AccuQuilt retreat in June 2011.  I used their dies to cut out the alphabet since I don't have those.   Now  that it's washed I think the squares could have used a little quilting.
Both quilts were bound using the machine binding technique from the previous post.
It sure is fast.
Happy stitching,
Nancy

2012 First Finish

 My first finish for 2012.  This quilt is a BOM  from Stitch 'N Quilt a local shop that has been closed for several years.

The blocks were made in 2005 and forgotten about, but since joining Sew It's Finished I have been going through my UFO's to see what I have and I discovered this one.  It was called Sunday Sampler because you picked up your block on Sunday afternoon.  The first block was $5 but if you brought your block in completed the next month your block was free.

This past week I added the corners and the black sashing put on the borders and quilted it.  When I was ready to do the binding I decided to try something different.  Instead of doing all that sewing by hand I added a machine sewn binding.

First I cut my binding 2 1/4 inches wide.  I like to use bias binding when I have enough fabric.  After joining the ends and pressing I sewed it to the back of the quilt instead of the front just like I would do if I planed on sewing it down by hand only  the back instead of the front.

When I came to a corner I just mitered it like I normally would and kept sewing and sewing until I came to the end.

This is the way I join my ends.  First I measure 2 1/4 inches from the end of the binding strip on the left.  

The exact width of my binding.  If my binding was 2 1/2 inches I would measure that amount.  Then I overlap the strip on the right and cut it at the mark.  I hope the picture shows better than I  explain.

 I  lay the strip on the left---right side up and place the strip on the right wrong side up on top of it.  Mark from corner to corner and stitch on this line.  If you click on the pictures they should enlarge.  Don't be tempted to add a little to your measurement because it won't fit if you do.














Trim to 1/4" and sew the binding  to the quilt.

 Turn your quilt to the right side and sew the binding down.  I used my little foot with an edge guide to help keep my stitching straight. I also backstitched a couple of stitches in the corners just to be sure they were secure.

You can see  some stitching on the back of the quilt and I wouldn't use this method for all my quilts mostly just what I call draggers.

It is much faster a lot less stress on my hands and I have a finished quilt.

Happy stitching,
Nancy