Table Topper finished with binding

I finished the wild table runner/hanging, using the pieced binding.  The binding doesn't show well in this camera picture, but is great in person.

I've been  going through my fabrics again! getting rid of old fabric that is sun-damaged, cut into, and that I don't like anyway.  No reason to save something I'll never use.  I have a couple garbage bags full of yucky fabrics.

I've also been trying a new way of free motion quilting that I saw on Leah Day's blog.  Leave the feed dogs up and set stitch length to 0 so that the feed dogs are not engaged.  My Bernina has a stitch regulator but I keep forgetting what my feet do and what my hands do, so I'm not using it and I have better results!

Choosing Binding

I finished the meandering on the wild table runner, taking advice from Leah Day's Blog by meandering bigger - it covers the space and is easier for the beginning free motion quilter.  And it worked!  It went pretty quickly and I'm getting more used to the stitch regulator on my Bernina.

So now I was ready for the binding.  I found just the right material, but I had just barely enough.  The fabric went perfectly with the background of the runner, but I cut it wrong and didn't have enough after all.  So I looked at my stash and decided if I couldn't match maybe I'd contrast.  I found a pile of contemporary bright fabrics and I'm happier using them than I was with the plain binding!

I'll move the fabrics around a bit to make the colors balance and it will be done!  I even might turn it longways and hang it - a very colorful hanging!  And incidentally my design wall sure comes in handy!

I'm also trying to decide how to quilt the 'streaky' quilt.

The pattern (Zen Chic) shows lots of vertical stitching, and, well, you have to put Something in all that blank space.  I'm thinking about following the idea of hand stitching from TheSillyBooDilly:

- vertical machine stitching with multicolor hand stitching.  Looks cool, but time taking and I'm not sure how to make even hand stitching.

New decisions to make and work to do!

Process Pledge

I was inspired by Rossie Blog to join the process pledge - to talk about my process of quilting - (paraphrasing from suggestions in her blog) how I decided colors, where I got my design ideas, who the quilt is intended for and how that affected the quilt, following a pattern?, what  I love or hate about the quilt, and am I stretching my abilities and imagination.

I know this is meant for art quilters - for people who make up their designs instead of following a pattern (and finishing UFOs) but I will try to stay within the spirit of the pledge as much as possible within my activity.  And I will post my ongoing quilting with pictures, instead of posting only when I finish a top or finish a quilt.

Also inspired by another blogger who said 'shut up and quilt!)  haha - so I'm going up to my sewing room to quilt!

Meandering

I added meandering (FMQ) to the running chickens runner, not very good but it really makes the chickens stand out.  I need practice before I do that again.

The runner from my UFO closet is now quilted (in the ditch) and needs meandering also. It uses contemporary fabric and I'm anxious to use it when it's done! It will wait while I get better at meandering, so back it goes into the UFO closet!  I found the perfect fabric for binding and have barely enough if I'm careful!

The thesillyboodilly has a quilting method I'd like to use on the streaky hanging.  It uses some hand-quilting in the sashiko style and I don't know how to make the stitches even without pre-printed stitches.  hmmm...

Progress

Finally finished with the running chickens runner! Finished binding it last night - I love their legs!  And it will fit on my dining room table when the leaves are in.

Also finished the top of that contemporary quilt that I chose on my birthday last week.  It looks really good - can't seem to get a photo of it - will try again later.

I shared these 2 quilts with my friendship groups - Mickey's weekly group/class and my monthly group, which was held at my house this month.  Not many people are coming to the monthly group's meetings, just 3 of us this time - maybe we need to get more than our 8 current members.

I layered a cute table runner that has been hanging in my closet for awhile.  There are a half dozen of those finished tops in there, and I need to decide whether I will machine-quilt, hand-quilt, or send it out.  I'll start the quilting on that cute runner today.

Chickens running...

The running chickens runner is almost done - just doing the hand binding now.  I think I'll leave off the eggs (buttons) though.  The quilting I did was all in the ditch - I was 'chicken' to meander!

I read a blog that showed how to organize your stash - using comic book boards to hold big fabrics and refolding fat quarters so you can see them - very inspiring to this compulsive quilter!  So I've started sorting through my fabric - all these little bits (and big bits too) of fabric I don't like anyway went in the trash, and the fabric I DO like are cleaned up and refolded.  And the good part is I get to touch all my fabric again!
Here is the link:  Fabric Folding Suggestion

I started cutting fabric for the new quilt pattern I got on my birthday.  It's going to be really pretty and unlike any quilt I've ever made.  Mostly grey with little streaks of a bold geometric.

Birthday

Today's my birthday (yes I know, it's also the anniversary of that terrible act), but it was my day first so the day means something special to me :).  So I'm going to spend it doing anything I want to do, and I've decided to go spend a lot of money on fabric!  My favorite fabric store has a lot of contemporary fabric and I'm going to stock up!  I also will start a new project - I've been spending so much time catching up with UFO's that it will be a pleasure (on my birthday) to start something new and exciting!

So today I've planned to shop and have lunch with a friend.  I've also gotten a lot of birthday wishes on fb, even a virtual birthday cake with a quilt on it!  Happy Birthday to me!!

Birthday with my family

Yesterday was wonderful - celebrating my birthday with my family!  and we had lunch at Souplantation - one of my favorites!  Next weekend will celebrate Mike's and Megan's birthdays too.

I did get to the sewing room and layered that chicken runner - now deciding how to quilt it...

A busy day ahead - philanthropy class (first time I've gone to this), Mickey's class - the first since her surgery, and Flying Geese guild meeting tonight.  I'm going to share the wedding quilt!  yayyy!

Since I'm new to blogging I'm enjoying reading the blogs, past and present, of the people that I'm following - and looking for new interesting people to follow.  This blogging is fun - no one but me will likely read it - but I will enjoy looking back to see what I did.  It's like a diary but more public and has pictures!

Finishing quilts

Finished the chicken runner top last night - here it is!  it's twice as long as what you see here - about 80".  I'm really happy that the top is done!  Will layer it later today.

A few days ago, I also finished Laura's wedding quilt - 15 years late - but I think it's pretty - it's a 'clams on the half shell' that was begun by mama and finished and hand-quilted by me.  :)

 
Laura and her family and Jon and his family are coming over today to celebrate my birthday (on the 11th).  Always happy to see my kids and grands!  :)

Beaks and Wattles

Visited with a friend, then attacked the beaks and wattles on my chicken runner - I've been putting it off, but it's not going to get any easier for waiting...  Not used to machine stitching those little fused pieces - but trying my best.  Will post when I finish it.