I just sewed the last stitch on the binding!!  It's Done!  My first finish for "A  Lovely Year of Finishes" hosted by Melissa of Sew BitterSweet Designs and Shanna of Fiber of All Sorts .

 I did choose the 'funky' green-gold thread to quilt swirls over the entire quilt.

 I had never tried the swirls, but they were fun to do.  Do a few big ones, and then a small one, then maybe a loop to get somewhere and then more swirls!   

 The yellow green thread works good with the white stars too!

Really liked seeing everyone's progress this month.   Thanks Melissa and Shanna for the 'push' to get it done!

Seize the Joy!

Marsha

Saturday's Sewing Room Tip

Today, I have been busy binding 2 quilts. One quilt needed black binding.  I used the 'square method' (That what I  am calling it, I don't know what it's called) where you cut a square of fabric on the diagonal and sew  it back together into a tube and then cut into bias strips,  I couldn't remember the formula to know how big a square to cut.  So, I had a 27 inch square of black fabric and ended up with 312 inches of binding!  After binding the quilt I was left with a 108 inches of binding.  Well, as I rolled it up, to put it in my "binding box", I realized I always had to measure the pieces to use them.  So,  I wrote the length and width of the binding on the fabric tie.  Now the information won't get lost!

So, use a scrap of fabric to gently tie together your binding, and write the length and width on the tie!  Easy does it!

Marsha

Look for Joy in your Day!

Local Quilt Shopping
 
I'm a day late, but I did make it to my local Quilt Shop for some "Fabric Therapy" on 'Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day' yesterday January 24th.  I am so lucky to have a quilt shop just 1 1/2 miles from home.  It is The Busy Thimble and is a great little shop.  There is a nice selection of fabric and books, and it keeps up with what's new especially with the Civil War fabrics and fabrics.  I love that I can get a spool of thread when I need it and they even sell Blendables from Sulky .  Yesterday, I wanted some solids.  This Modern Quilt movement has gotten my attention, and I want to try my hand at it.  A beautiful shade of aqua and then white which seems to be a necessity in the Modern Quilt movement came home with me.   I hope you were able to make it your local shop.  What did you purchase?

Marsha

It's the 15th of the month!

            It's the 15th of the month and time to check in with "A Lovely Year of Finishes".  I was really pleased to get it all pinned together with the backing.  The backing was only 2 inches bigger than the top so it was touch and go at times to make sure all was covered! I think this sandwiching the quilt is one of the places I 'stop' the process of finishing. 

           I also have taken a look through my threads to find a good one to quilt with.  I have some light patches but most are mediums.  What do you think of my choices?  I know, It's hard to tell.  One is a 'funkie' gold & green varigated thread,  another is a blue varigated and then the orange varigated.  I am leaning towards the "funkie one or the orange.

I hope everyone is getting there quilts finished for January. . .  Now on to quilting!

Keep finding the Joy!
 
Marsha

  A new year brings new beginnings

This weekend, I got my sewing room put back into use after it reverted back to our older son's bedroom  at Christmas time.  It was great to have him home and to give up my workroom for a bit!

In 2012, I made a list of all the projects I had started with the hopes I would finish most of them.  (40+ projects)  Well, I did do a lot of quilting and mending last year.  I started more projects, (some getting finished)  and finished only 2 of the projects on the list,  my Vegetable Garden quilt, from a pattern in Quiltmaker Magazine  and a quilt for my husband that was a mystery quilt.

 Soo. . . that wasn't going to well in getting old UFOs finished.

Well I stumbled onto a blog "bittersweet designs" and Melissa was blogging about  " 2013 ~ A Lovely Year of Finishes".  Well I though about it for a week and decided, maybe, if I put a project out there for all to see, I will finish it in the month.  It's worth a try, right?

So,  This month, I am quilting 2 quilts.  One is the 2012's Black Swamp Quilt Guilds mystery quilt.  It is so bright and joyful, Aqua, Yellow and White.  It makes me smile.  And I want it done for a meeting on Thursday. (I better work fast)






 

The other one which is for the "Lovely Year of Finishes" is the 'Robot Quilt'.

I pieced it over 5 years ago, the backing is finished, and the binding is made.  Why it never got finished, I am not quite sure.  I love the quirk color combination, and while there isn't a robot in the quilt, the words,  describe robots.  I made monkey wrench and friendship star, and 9 patch blocks because you need a wrench to make a robot :-) and this robot is going into space!  This quilt needs sandwiched, quilted and bound.

Ready to have some quilting joy!