A Day's Work & Slow Sunday Stitching

 

I spent most of today pressing fabric for binding; measuring, cutting, and stitching it into one long length; measuring the quilt and binding; then pinning the binding to the front of this quilt one side at a time and sewing to the front of the quilt.  It should have taken less time than it did but I'm still a little under the weather so I work more slowly.  (I know some quilters lay the binding along the side of the quilt at stitch it at the machine but I always end up with waffly edges when I do that, so I take the time to measure and pin each side.)

I wrote before that I was considering a wide binding, possibly 1", but I decided that a ½" binding would look better.   I calculated then cut the binding fabric at 3" -- 1½" to go around once, then double that because I double folded the fabric.  I thought about it several times -- will that be wide enough, should it be wider? -- but in my less-than-good-health state, I didn't think clearly enough.

You experienced quilters will immediately understand the problem I had.  It would seem to be wide enough but it didn't leave space for the thickness of the quilt.  Thank goodness I stopped to check it after attaching about 6" of the binding.  It was too narrow.   

I knew I could cut the edge a little narrower but instead I unstitched the 6" and began stitching a little left of the ½" line.  It worked.  The binding will be narrower than ½" but at least I'm ready to begin hand sewing it to the back of the quilt.  Hooray!  I have hand stitching again.

The binding fabric I finally found came from JoAnn.  I bought 5/8 yard of a grunge-style fabric and a yard of Kona Celestial.  I cut the grunge fabric first knowing I would have no other use for it.  When I realized I needed only about 60" more, I used a small piece of blue left over from the stars.  Together, they were just long enough.  I don't know what I'll do with the Kona but at least it's a shade of blue I like.

I'm looking forward to having this quilt finished!

If I have a chance to stitch on Sunday, this is what I will be slow stitching.  Linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  Thanks for hosting, Kathy.

--Nancy.

P.S.  If  you're wondering about the safety pins, they identify the sections in which I used Gutermann cotton thread after I ran out of the spool of (probably) rayon thread.
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Stitching a Binding - Slow Sunday Stitching

If I have a few quiet moments today I'll begin stitching this binding in place.

I'm so glad to have finished the quilting -- big stitch with 3 strands of embroidery floss.  Maybe I won't do that again. 

The border on the front of this quilt is two different green fabrics.  The back of the quilt has four or five different greens.  And now the binding is five different greens, only one of which is on the front or back of the quilt.  It's a scrappy quilt so all the greens should be fine together.  At least I hope they will.

When you choose binding for a quilt do you tend to choose a fabric and color to go with the front of the quilt or the back of the quilt? 

I'm linking this post to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  Thanks for hosting, Kathy.

And for the Sabbath, one of my favorite hymns, "I Believe in Christ."



       I believe in Christ; he is my King!
       With all my heart to him I’ll sing;
       I’ll raise my voice in praise and joy,
       In grand amens my tongue employ.
       I believe in Christ; he is God’s Son.
       On earth to dwell his soul did come.
       He healed the sick; the dead he raised.
       Good works were his; his name be praised.

       I believe in Christ; oh blessed name!
       As Mary’s Son he came to reign
       ’Mid mortal men, his earthly kin,
       To save them from the woes of sin.
       I believe in Christ, who marked the path,
       Who did gain all his Father hath,
       Who said to men: “Come, follow me,
       That ye, my friends, with God may be.”

       I believe in Christ—my Lord, my God!
       My feet he plants on gospel sod.
       I’ll worship him with all my might;
       He is the source of truth and light.
       I believe in Christ; he ransoms me.
       From Satan’s grasp he sets me free,
       And I shall live with joy and love
       In his eternal courts above.

       I believe in Christ; he stands supreme!
       From him I’ll gain my fondest dream;
       And while I strive through grief and pain,
       His voice is heard: “Ye shall obtain.”
       I believe in Christ; so come what may,
       With him I’ll stand in that great day
       When on this earth he comes again
       To rule among the sons of men.

Happy Sabbath to you.

--Nancy.

A Binding for Sunday Morning - Binding Blitz

I do a generally good job of keeping up with binding my quilts as I finish them.  It just takes me a while to get around to choosing and layering a quilt top, then hand quilting it.

This is the first quilt I've finished this year and, therefore, the first quilt I've bound this year.  I'm pleased to be able to participate in Julie's July Binding Blitz at JulieKQuilts.

This quilt is "Sunday Morning."  The perimeter is 316½" around.  The binding strips were cut slightly off-grain at 2" wide.  I folded the strips in half, carefully laid them on the edges of the quilt, stitched ¼" seam, turned the binding to the back, pinned it in place, and hand-stitched it.  It took about 6 hours to sew, but then I'm a slow stitcher.

Because the quilt is scrappy and uses light-colored fabrics, I chose a scrappy binding.  It doesn't call attention to itself nor overpower or detract from the quilt itself.

My last post was about "Sunday Morning" and you can see more photos and read details about the quilt there.

I'm linking this post to Julie's Binding Blitz at JulieKQuilts.  Thank you, Julie.

Thanks for visiting.

--Nancy.
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Procrastinating a Binding

Brenna was home over the weekend and chose the above fabrics for a scrappy binding on her High Five.  On Saturday I cut and stitched the fabrics into one long strip but didn't get any further.  I don't sew on Sunday so Monday was the day to get the binding onto the quilt and get it finished.

On Saturday night I had a dream about the binding.  There it was all cut and ready to be sewn on the quilt.  I picked up the quilt, sat at the machine, laid the binding along the edge of the quilt and began to sew.  Great progress, almost done.  I awoke with a start.  Oh, no!  That's not how to sew a binding on a quilt!  (I know because I've tried that before and ended up with a ruffly-edged quilt.)  Whew!  I'm glad it was only a dream.  When I came downstairs the next morning, there was the quilt on the floor exactly where I'd left it.

Bindings are my least favorite part of quilting.  I think a binding can make or break (or at least enhance or detract  from) a quilt.  A fabulous quilt will look less than its best with a poorly measured and sewn binding.  Thus, my trepidation.  Even though my goal was to completely finish the quilt (binding sewn and stitched) on Monday, I found myself coming up with ways to avoid it.

• Better check on Airedale Hannah.  She might be out in the yard digging.
• Oh!  That load of laundry's finished.  Better go change the washer.  (Repeated every half hour or so, at least four times.)
• Look at all those threads on the floor!  Gotta vacuum.  (You know it's bad when I choose cleaning over quilting.)
• Look at all those crumbs.  Someone forgot to clean off the counter after breakfast....
• Breakfast.  I forgot to eat breakfast!  I need to eat so I'll have energy to do that binding.
• Gosh, I'm sleepy.  Maybe a nap will help.
• Etc., etc.  

Determined to meet this goal and be finished with this quilt, I measured the binding, laid it on the quilt, measured again, pinned, and sewed each side.  By late afternoon the binding had been machine stitched in place and I spent the rest of the evening folding it over and blind-stitching it on the back.  I think I got it right.  I don't think there are any ruffles but we'll see after it comes out of the dryer.

The label on the the Mountain Mist Cream Rose batting bags says, "Washable with care, when quilted properly".  What care, exactly?  Regular wash, gentle wash?  Dryer, no dryer?  The quilt is going through a regular wash cycle, and will dry on moderate heat.  If I were a superstitious person, I might cross my fingers....

I'm linking this post to Small Blog Meet, a link-up for bloggers with fewer than fifty follows.  It is hosted at the beginning of every month by Lynne at Lily's Quilts.  If you're a blogger with only a few followers and would like to meet more, please link with the rest of us.

I'm also linking this post to Let's Get Acquainted! Monday Link Up by Plum and June which is hosted this week by Taryn at from Pixels to Patchwork.


--Nancy.
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