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Saturday 8 February 2020

Bag of scraps

I find it difficult to toss even small scraps of Love and delightful fabric. But when  it comes to making blocks of them I'm quite pleased to see a 6.5" size come together quite quickly.
I appliqued some hearts on a few, intending to sash them and make a small quilt.
But my young niece needed a librarybag and likes hearts, so I kept making squares until I had 18 and made this one for her:

My sister in law saw it and said she'd like one too. So what's a quilter to do, but use up more scraps. The straps this time darker, handles do get a lot of use, so darker colours don't show the dirt quite so much. 


I'm enjoying these, might have to check out my fabric for some favourites for myself. I think the bag I use the most for sewing bits and pieces may be showing some wear itself. I can't even remember when I made it.

Scraps may be a plenty, but bags are a great way to use some up.

Until next time,
Lynn

Sunday 2 February 2020

When is a quilt finished?

As I began 2020 (and today is already 02/02/2020!) I surveyed my UFOs, or more correctly rather than unfinished, almost finished. Which made me wonder, when do you consider a quilt to be finished?
Sure we can complete a flimsy (top only) but that's definitely not finished, right? But then I realised this quilt
Was all but done, except the binding. I had even cut the binding, but somehow in all the Christmas activity, making some mug rugs for friends, a quilt for the hospice where a friend works:


And even a library bag for my niece. My sister in law asked me to make it and since I had a few of these scrap blocks with applied hearts, I thought they'd work well.
Then I realised I think I work better when there's a goal in mind, rather than just creating a quilt just for its own sake. I'd already made a few blocks, had even picked out some sashing, but hadn't completed it. But once I had a bag to complete, I finished the 18 blocks and here it is.

But I realised I didn't have a destination for this quilt, so even though it was quilted, it wasn't bound, nor did it have a label. 

So when do you think a quilt is completed? Not when it's a flimsy, when it's quilted? Technically it is a quilt, but not really finished. For me it has to be bound AND the label on it. 

I also realised I have 2 others in similar state, binding chosen but not yet attached. Their turn will come. Meanwhile I'm pleased to have this one completed, even the fiddly corners on that border fabric that I've had for years. 

The backing is a sheet I picked up from a second hand shop - I also used this on my niece's bag.

So I'd best find destinations for the other quilts, motivation to complete them.
Until next time,
Lynn