Two Projects Done

The Amish Blocks quilt was part of a "challenge" with the Main Street Quilters. I finished this one just in time. It was quick and easy. Now I use it for a lap robe while I watch TV. The skirt is for Elise who loves to wear skirts. It also was easy to make. It feels good to have two projects completed.

Sewing 101

What could be more fun for a quilter than to teach two very special students to sew? Mark and Elise were quick learners and each made a swaddling blanket for Aunt Elizabeth's baby - due in October. They selected their fabric, cut it into a square, and hemmed all four sides. You can just see how focused they are. Good Job!

Bright Baby Quilt

This bright quilt was fun and easy to put together. I hope baby Mollie Rose will be warm and cozy beneath it.

Baby Quilt

My friend's daughter is about to have a baby so here's a look at my next project. I found a "jelly roll" of very cute juvenile prints in bright colors. (A "jelly roll" is a set of 40 (2 1/2 by 44 inch) strips of coordinating fabric. It's fun working on a simple pattern for a change. I'll have no trouble getting this done before the baby arrives.

A Future Project

What do you do with too many old neckties to count? You turn them into a quilt, of course. Here is Alan taking the ties apart. I'll cut the silk fabric into strips and sew the strips onto muslin squares to make into a lap robe. It will be an new adventure for me since I've never sewn with silk. Should be fun!

A New Tablecloth

The quilting is complete and the binding is sewn on. Now I can put the cloth on the table to use and enjoy.

Quilting Begins

First, make the sandwich. Spread out the backing on the floor, right-side down. Next comes the batting and then the top, right-side up. Pin every few inches to hold everything together. This can be back-breaking work, so I did some random pinning and then took the whole thing to the cutting table to work on. Now decide where exactly to quilt. I'll quilt right along the seam line around each square. Because the piece is so big, I had to roll up the side that was under the sewing machine arm and clip it together. Now, just sew, sew, sew.

A Work in Process

It's time to make a decision. The tablecloth is almost done - just the final border to finish. But which border should I use? My first thought was to do the wide border you see at the top. These individual squares are already sewn together. The thing is, when I put it up on the design wall, the border seemed to dominate and detract from the main design. So...

I'll just use the narrower border you see on the left side. It will mean more work to take apart the squares, but it will be worth it.