Thursday, March 28, 2013

Back in the Saddle

On Tuesday I spent the day in Clayton, NC, exercising my "visitation rights" to use my Gammill longarm quilting machine.  I got both of my baby quilts done!  Well, almost!

I did my granddaughter's first.  Her nursery is a mermaid's paradise!  I quilted in some wavy water, seaweed, a few fish, and a few hearts and other motifs that were in the theme fabric in the border.

 
The quilting shows up better on the back.
 
 
In my attempt to do some stash-busting, I have been piecing my quilt backs from whatever fabrics might coordinate with the quilt top.
 
 
I actually made the bias stripe binding and applied it yesterday, and it is about three-fourths sewn to the back by hand.

The next quilt was for my great-nephew, Lucas.  His top is a riot of bright colors and jungle animals.  I decided to do some balloon-type round shapes, with some sunbursts and other shapes thrown in when I got bored.

 
 
 
All was going well until I got to the last four or five inches from the bottom.  I was getting ready to baste the bottom edge to the batting and backing and take out the pins. 
 
Uh-oh!
 
I ran out of backing fabric.  If I kept on quilting, I would be sewing right into the canvas leaders!
 
I just took the quilt off the machine and brought it home to add some more fabric.  Of course I did not have any more of the blue fabric.  Notice I had already added some pieced fabrics from the top to extend the blue fabric a bit.
 
 
When I trimmed the extra fabric from the other sides, I had enough left to add a narrow strip to the bottom.  Then I had to quilt the last few inches on my home sewing machine.  Oh, my!  Not easy to make nice circles and loops.
 

But it's done!  I have cut the pieces for his bias striped binding.  I love the way bias stripes make a candy-cane effect around the edge of the quilt.  Will show the bindings next time.

We are leaving for a long weekend in the mountains for Easter weekend.  It should be cold, but not rainy.  I am ready for spring!
 
 

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