I decided to face rather than bind the Short Cuts quilt so I attached the single thickness fabric strips to the top on all four sides.
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| Front Binding |
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| Back Binding |
Also I have sewn down the binding on the Kasbah quilt the other way round to what I intended as the patterned side didn't suit the fron as well as I expected.
Thanks to fabric choices and Mandy's clever pattern (the units are oblong not square) this is, I feel, a very successful quilt.
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| The back with leftover pieces included. |
It's always good to be home again and I have been getting on with all sorts of things including a good clean up of my sewing room and a sort out of projects that have gathered under the table with a (very) long term aim of clear floor space and surfaces as when I first set up this space. I have observed other people's marvellous new spaces silt up in a similar manner. I am trying sew my way out of mine though I could do with a Rumplestiltskin.
I have made backs and some bindings for all the retreat projects and waddings. I am glue basting and quilting one at a time.
The Tilda quilt is quilted and bound - sewing down bindings will be an ongoing job for weeks.
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| Detail |
Likewise the Bondoon quilt - the back shows off the original fabric, available bcause I had to buy more to finish off the border and nothing else would do.
I rewarded myself a quick make of a mug rug made as a warm up in an excellent Janet Clare workshop long ago and retrieved from "under the table". I just machined the label and bagged it out.
In the evenings in front of the TV I have been hand piecing Green Tea and Sweet Beans now halted as I need to prep more but I am sewing down the binding of the Kasbah quilt - lovely and mindless.
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| All three |
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| Poppy |
Some of this has been a displacement for an end of month deadline and the Queen Beez group quilt centrepiece. As Maggie and Mary are such expert and qualified stitchers I have been nervous about combining my work with theirs. Anyway I have made a start which is half the battle - Maggie has been our fabric guru and general overseer, Mary and I happy injuns and consultants. So the pieces are cut and placement indicated and I am appliquing and being careful as I can to place points on the dots Mary has drawn. I am doing the large outer ring of petals. Things will be easier when we get to the borders.
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| We are making Vermont Summer Medallion by Judy Newman. |
And as a final note my first quilt, hexagons needless to say, is on the bed as it is every Spring. Technically it's my daughter's but it lives here.
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| Detail. |
I was finishing off leftover projects, two were sets of setting blocks that I opted not to use in the end and another leftover HSTs.
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| I made, sashed and joined these cross blocks originally cut out for the Fish Quilt. It is narrow and long but meets Quilts 4 Care Leavers specifications very neatly so that is the plan. |
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| More crosses originally intended for the Bondoon Quilt . While away I added the borders. mitring the corners. |
Yet another was of extra leftover Tilda HSTs now square in squares for a baby quilt though the arrangement went a bit off piste.
I added a binding to the Kasbah quilt and then put it on my bed in the hotel. It was a delight to open the door to my room. More hand sewing to do when I have time.
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| This was started in a Mandy Munroe workshop |
And I pieced and bordered the Westminster blocks I made as part of sharing Maria Spiller's workshop when she had to cancel at the last minute because of illness in the house.
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| The pink came from Purple Stitches, an end of bolt. This may be a splash of colour on a hospice bed. |
My major piece was sashing and bordering my OZ quilt though lack of fabric meant I didn't finish till I got home.
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| Top pictured with borders at our Lower Hardres Day |
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| Detail of Bondoon Quilt |
Some attendees were completing UFOs left by a dear member who sadly died last year and whose presence we all miss.
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| Wonderful strip pieced hexagons finished by Colette |
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| I think this is one of Isabel's completed by Chris |
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| This looks like one of Carrie's |
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| We all liked Chris's HST pattern |
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| Julie's also using HSTs |
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| Julie was repairing this loved to death quilt made for her niece by appliquing hexagons over tears and stains. |
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| Just lovely top by Julie |
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| I think this Night and Day top (Quilt in a Day) was started by Isabel and completed by Mandy. |
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| Detail of Julie's top |
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| 4 HST panels by Chris to hang side by side |
Lots of people were making charity quilts, many with framed panel pictures in bright pleasing coordinated fabrics
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| Made by Yvette |
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| Carrie? |
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| Debbie's DNP |
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| Mandy made lots |
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| Elizabeth Hartman Unicorn made for Linus by Yvette |
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| Kathy's Teddy Bear top |
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| The back |
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| Using card templates and chalk or soap to mark. |
I have been hand quilting my Letterbox Quilt since coming home so haven't done much on "Green Tea & Sweet Peas" though I have got applique blocks ready to go and more Drunkard's Path blocks, these with inserts.
However having finished the third row of Baptists' Fan quilting it's time to swap to hand piecing as we Bonnie makers meet next Thursday.
As soon as I got back from Madeira on a Friday I put on a wash and repacked my case for a quilting retreat at Highfield Park in Hampshire. We were very pleased with the accommodation and especially with the lovely meals but they are changing their arrangements so we have to look elsewhere.
Three of us paid visits to Village Fabrics in Wallington and Purple Stitches near Basingstoke, both very different but well stocked with lovely fabrics.
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| Village Fabrics, Wallingford |
