Binding...

Okay.  This has been a work out.  I told Husband to remind me not to make such a big quilt again.  I started quilting it yesterday and then spent a marathon quilting the rest of it today.  I had the really silly idea to quilt it closely with straight lines.  Let's just say they are straight-ish.  On such a big quilt, I found it tricky to manage the weight of the quilt and keep perfectly straight.  At one point, Husband sat at the end of the long harvest table and used a broomstick to guide the rolled up quilt back onto the centre of the table.  It was really quite funny.  Our own version of a long arm.  The long arm being a broom handle attached to a human.

Then it was time for binding.  Years ago, I can remember wondering where quilters got the lovely rolls of binding I would see photographed with quilts.  Silly me.  So naive.  Now I know.  You make the stuff and roll it up pretty and then take a picture of it.

Happy Sunday.

Busy thoughts

Quilting the beast.  The snow is falling and the tree is waiting for decorations.  While all seems right in our small piece of the world, I cannot help but dwell on the events of the past few days in Connecticut.  Unfathomable.  There are no words.

A finish and another gift made

I finished this table runner nice and quick.   The binding happened while watching tv the other evening.  It felt good to use up some of my French General hoard.  It is a funny thing that I have such a stack of French General fabrics and yet rarely use it.  I really do think that my fabric tastes have evolved since I first started stock piling it.  I still like it but I don't really see it in a quilt.  At least not for me.  It looks quite nice in a table runner though.

The fabulous thing about table runners is that you get to use up batting scraps!  I have a huge pile of potential table runners!  The other fabulous thing about table runners is how quickly they quilt up.   Love that!

I quilted this simply with some gorgeous Aurifil 40 wt.  It has a beautiful sheen to it and the heavier weight allows the quilting to really sparkle.

Oh!  I ordered some labels awhile ago!  They look quite official!

Linking up with Finish it up Friday at Amanda Jean's.  Off to quilt guild tonight.  So much fun!

Work in Progress Wednesday...

I have been busy.  I have this beast all put together, sashed, sandwiched and ready for quilting.  Eep!  It is a big one!  I used the Garden Trellis pattern from Fresh Lemons with extra blocks to make it bigger.  I think I am going to straight line quilt it but it will take a long time because it is BIG!!!!!!

No progress on either of my two other quilts in the works but I did finish the table runner I started on the weekend. Maybe I need to call the works in waiting rather than works in progress!

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced for Work in Progress Wednesday and the Needle and Thread Network.

Squishy quilt mail!

I had a few surprises when I got home today!  Some squishy packages of quilty goodness.  Carol at Sew Sisters sent me a lovely package to say thanks for being one of the host bloggers during Blogathon Canada!  Sweet!  Including a t-shirt!!!!  My first ever quilting related t-shirt!  Thank you, Sew Sisters!

I also got a wee package of bits and bobs of the zippy pouch hardware variety.  I ordered this stuff on Etsy from Tantalizing Stitches after not being able to find stuff in shops without it costing ridiculous amounts of money.  The prices were just great at this Etsy shop and it did not take too long to arrive at my doorstep in the wilds of Canada!

A little crafty star

I run a girl's craft club once a week at lunch at school.  It is pretty popular.  I have about 30 girls who show up each week.  I have a bunch of craft supplies everywhere and the girls go for it.  Many of them have learned how to knit on those big spool knitting looms and are busy cranking out hats.  They are very proud to wear them around school.  I like to have a new thing to show them each week and they can decide to make it or do whatever with buttons or beads.

Today they could make a star ornament.  I found this idea on Pinterest but I cannot find it to link it here!  Eeek!  Basically I traced a star cookie cutter.  Then cut out a bunch of felt stars.  The stars are sandwiched around a bit of stuffing then stitched.  Armed with a small amount of fibrefill stuffing, a slip of ribbon, a bit of perle cotton, and a needle along with a button, they were good to go.  Many of them had never threaded a needle, taken a stitch or sewed on a button.  Life lessons!!!

They were busy, busy, busy all through the lunch hour.  I should have taken a picture of some of their stars.  Too funny!  A little lumpy, a little wonky but made with much enthusiasm and with great plans to make more next week!

On the design wall... really!

I am feeling great pressure to put the pedal to the metal.   Christmas is coming and I still have sewing to do!  Eep!  I finished a quilt top and a quilt back this weekend and have the quilt sandwiched and ready to quilt.  I also got this table runner underway for another gift.  I had all this French General fabric piled up and I have decided it has to get used.  I think it looks quite lovely as a table runner.  Most elegant in fact.

And I have graduated to a really big design wall.  Check out this picture.  No more design floor or bed.  Not for this quilter.  I have a HUMONGOUS design wall now with nothing to show but a wee table runner.

And if you are interested, I enjoyed having a virtual shop this morning after reading this article!

Linking up with Judy's Design Wall Monday!  Hope your Christmas sewing is going well!