I'm calling this 6 bindings in 2 weeks while actually the one I did by hand was worked on in spurts for 2 weeks before I finished all of the others. So, the top one was done by machine on June 12, the 2nd from the bottom finished by hand on June 13 (started May 29), and the other 4 all finished by machine in 5 days (June 19-23) this week. After all of that practice I think I can finish more by machine, especially the bed size ones. I have at least 4 bed size ones waiting to be quilted and I think that is the end of such large quilts. Lap quilts make better gifts. Most people want bed covers to match their bedrooms (as in decorating with a purpose) and I don't do custom quilts.
I went out last night while it was still light and took a few photos of blooms. This is some kind of perennial that was here when I moved here 39 years ago. It comes up all over the place, this group right in front of the gold mound spirea. If I were a neat gardener I would dig it out, but my gardens are pretty wild and tangled, partly because of the mosquitoes.
A friend gave me the Butterfly weed plant about 3 years ago and it has also reseeded in many places. This group will get dug up when it is done blooming and go to a friend who wants it.
I didn't plant the milkweed but I had mentioned to a friend that I wondered if it would grow in the shade garden. Shortly after that I found one growing in my front garden, mysterious appearance. Now there are about 7 of them and I'm going to try to relocate them. Lunch with my friend and her husband was great and we walked around the downtown area in the town we went to high school in. Of course it is totally different after 53 years. In one of the stores we ran into a lady we went to grade school with from 1950-1954. I told her to say hi to her brother and sister for me also. It was a wonderful day.
Wow. So many finishes! Hooray! Your day did sound like fun.
ReplyDeleteWanda - you are amazing. I am trying to perfect machine binding -- I would be much more productive. I read your post on 3/8" when using 2.5" binding and I'm going to try that on my next NICU quilt. What I don't recall your saying is how you miter. Do you come to a stop and backstitch at each corner or do you keep the needle down and swing the quilt around 90 degrees and continue on. My corners are a tad messy and I know the sick little babies don't care but I do. If I could get over the need to hand stitch down the bindings - it would be so liberating!
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Jan at iquiltforfun.blogspot.com
I have never had very good luck with machine binding, but I think I need to try it again. Like Jan, I would appreciate more information on how you handle the corners. (I hope this doesn't post twice, I was trying to correct an error in my first comment and it disappeared! Blogger is still a mystery to me.)
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to see so many bindings finished! The last chapter, but often the one most dreaded! Thank you for a lovely blog!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on finishing so many quilts! You inspire me! Those blue flowers are Creeping Bellflowers. I have them too. Just can't seem to get rid of them. They are biennials - during their first year they have small leaves almost at ground level. In their second year they grow into these lovely blue spikes. Once they have a hold in your garden they are there to stay.
ReplyDeletegreat looking quilts - what a stack of color!! you must be so pleased to have them finished from what you say I know you have a closet of tops that need quilting and binding so it never ends does it.
ReplyDeleteOur gardens have been needing water all the time it has been such a hot beginning of summer and dry too. I have seen the milkweed of course in the north but I have not seen it much in the south - I will have to check and see if it can be grown here I have a few spots that need overtaking.
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/
I think a tutorial on machine binding would be appreciated by many of your readers. After spending the best part of my relaxing time the past couple weeks hand sewing binding, I think I need to try it by machine. Help!
ReplyDeleteWay to go on those bindings!!!! That stack looks great!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a great day was had strolling down memory lane.
Your flowers look so pretty. I am amazed how quickly those plants can take over when the growing season is so short.
Bravo! Binding is my least liked part of quilting, and I do machine binding just to get it over with. Yours look great.
ReplyDeleteWhat a colorful stack of beauty! Or is it a beautiful stack of color? It's both - what a satisfying accomplishment to have all those quilts bound and finished. I just love your color selections.
ReplyDeleteCongrats Wanda on so many finishes, that has to make you feel terrific! They are all beautiful. I finish all of mine by machine too. When you say a lap quilt makes the best gift, what size do you make them? Sounds like you had fun at lunch reminiscing about the past.
ReplyDeleteDo you get monarchs with all that milkweed?
ReplyDeleteI have the blue flowers too and they are bell flowers or Cantebury Bells. They come up everywhere but aren't too invasive and are easily culled or moved. I like them.
ReplyDeleteI love your wild, mosquito enabled garden, Wanda. I'm so jealous that you have Bfly Weed and Milkweed. I'd love to have them in my gardens here in CA. I grew up in WI and recognize your mystery blue bells type plant, but I don't know the name of it either. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteAll those finishes... I'm still working on XXXs and OOOs. (My problem is that I read toooooo many blogs.)
What a beautiful stack of finished quilts! And finished is a good thing. I always machine stitch the bindings, but I do it because I can't bear the thought of all that hand stitching. Laziness, probably.
ReplyDeleteYour flowers are just beautiful. They've done well with all the rain you've had.
LOVE love love the photo of the freshly bound quilts! I have 8 that need binding ... I need to get busy!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you had such a great day.
How lovely that the lunch went well and that oyu ran into another person you knew while out on your walk!
ReplyDeleteYour quilts look fabulous stacked together like that.
That's a lot of bindings in just a couple of weeks. I love your quilts as they are so colorful. If I ever use up the scraps I have I plan on buying lots of color after that. I have been on a pastel kick and need to stop it. LOL I agree with you, no more large quilts. I make only lap or throw size. I am working on another quilt as you go so I can finish them fast. I am also starting my Christmas ornaments which will be white on white satiney birds trimmed with gold and silver on the wings. You gotta start the Christmas presents early.
ReplyDeleteOk Now I am really jealous! lol I did spend today cleaning and taking an inventory of quilts that need "stuff". A little depressing, but now they are organized into groups by "need" so that should help.
ReplyDelete