Log Cabin fun

As I continue to work through my list, one item that I'd begun maybe a year or so ago was some log cabin squares. Since the central square was 1 1/2", strips were 1", and the whole block 4 1/2" I knew it would take me a while. What I actually did was mostly forget about it! Until about May of this year when I decided to make my list.
A list seems to motivate me to keep on going through. So this one began as number 8 on the list of 12 and gradually worked its way up as I completed some.

With binding done its completed so that I can pass it on to the recipient at the weekend. It's going to a couple who have just had their first baby, a girl. While this is not a usual baby quilt, its size and bright colours I hope will mean that it may be used beyond babyhood. 

The reverse means that if they want a quieter feel, they can simply turn it over and its a soft white with a fleck of yellow flower and green leaf. 

Since I didn't quite have enough of the backing, two of the sides also have a white embossed type fabric. Now I know what others mean when they have commented about the challenge of quilting over such fabric. It felt as though I had another thickness of wadding there! Thankfully I only had the two sides where that featured. 

Here's a bit of a close up of the colours since they don't always show so clearly from a distance (which is how my husband prefers to see quilts so that he can recognize a pattern).  

 I did a stipple in the sections, other than the centre shown on the left of the photo above and then feathers down the sides. Its a great way to use up scraps and I'm pleased I kept at it, having a bit of a focus over a couple of weeks to get the blocks completed.

There are now only two quilts left on my list (for 2015 at least) to be sandwiched and quilted. I may not quite get there, but I'm pretty happy with having done 10 since May. I know I'll be making a list for 2016 to keep me honest.

Until next time,

Linking up with a few linky parties,

Lynn

Christmas Runner

I think that's all the Christmas sewing happening round here, having completed this runner I had fun with it.

I did a simple in the ditch around the stars but got more creative in the white spaces. In the border I did a few random things - Christmas trees, a gift, tried a snowflake - its at the top in this shot, not a great idea, but still fun to have a go. 

I also tried the piped binding which is remarkably easy, just make the binding up of the two colours, the 'feature' in my case red, cut to 1 3/4" and the main (black with white dots) 1 1/2", join together down the long sides of the pieces to make up the binding strip, then press in half as you would usually do. This creates the piping with it just peeping out.  Attach to the back of the runner/quilt, with the 'feature' fabric being the most visible, of facing towards you, then turn/flip over to the front and machine the binding in the ditch of the feature to show your piping. Should have taken photos of the process, but got the tips from an Aunt Marti tutorial page. [http://www.52quilts.com/search/label/Tutorials] She called it Susie's magic binding so I guess she got the idea from somewhere else too - isn't that what the internet patchwork and quilting community is all about, sharing what we know?

Anyhow, here's another of my runner a little closer up and finally one showing the backing. 

And now to get back to my list for completion (maybe i'm dreaming?) this year. I have 2 to sandwich and quilt and two that are already for quilting - one more than half done the other to begin. So maybe I'll finish one, but you know what they say, if you don't have big goals, you don't achieve anything! This is the one that is partly quilted, done some of that feather work in the cream areas and some straight lines in the darker ones. Really just the edges to go. I'm happy with how its going so far, so I'd better get busy!

Until next time,

Lynn

Linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday and Confessions of a Fabric Addict. 

Runners and Rugs

Its definitely that time of year, the time of making new Christmas runners, small gifts for people and the like.

I've completed one table runner that was just a panel, but I had great fun free-motion quilting the 60 small blocks it had with various patterns - from simple outlining, to stippling and lines like Christmas lights. And it is one that is finished, so that's a good thing!

I've also nearly completed (just binding to add) on a couple of mug rugs for a couple of friends of mine. I also explored the flange or piping addition to the binding on the first one. I didn't realise how easy it was [thanks to instructions from Aunt Marti http://www.52quilts.com/search/label/Tutorials]

That will be a help when it comes to quilting and binding my other table runner. 

This one was a quilt along that I joined in - hoping to have it done by Dec 4 but that didn't happen! Maybe early next week I'll get it finished then. 

Hope your Christmas plans are coming together. I still haven't put up the tree, but also hope that will be achieved over the weekend.

Until next time, 

Linking up with Quilt Story; Freshly Pieced Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict. 

Lynn