I will post the three finishes in the order that I put the bindings on. This Stonehenge fabric quilt goes by more than one name. It is a pattern that is sold but the directions were also in a QUILT magazine with the same exact size pieces but with a different name. It ended up approximately 62" x 80" when finished.
I used the same fabric for both backing and binding. I'm really happy with this one. I know I need to do another pattern with the Stonehenge fabrics in 2017.
The zig zag quilt was the next one I did the binding on. I used a back with scattered white dots for the binding.
I put a really soft flannel on the back. It is 47" x 59".
This last one got its binding finished at 10:30 p.m.
I used the same backing that I put on the pink 16 patch quilt last month. I showed the binding fabric on my post yesterday. It is 38.5" x 56".
Instead of posting at 5 a.m. I'm going ahead and posting this just before midnight on the last day of 2016. I will be working on a recap of 2016 to post next. It will take awhile to make the collages of all of the finished tops and finished quilts.
I decided to use the rest of the backing fabric as the binding on the Stonehenge quilt. I did the binding all by machine.
I will take its portrait today. I need to either take the Seed Packet squares off a design wall or set up another double wall where the lighting isn't quite as good.
I mentioned yesterday that I had a couple blips that I didn't know if I would fix. Here is one of them. It took me 10 minutes last night to find it so the answer is NO, I won't fix it. The channel lock slipped in this spot.
This is the other spot where the channel lock slipped. I caught it quicker this time. Of course it had to be in a dark area where the dark beige thread really shows up. If I were quilting for someone else I would take it out. Since it is mine, I'm going to leave it. It is my one of two humble spots on the quilt.
I chose the binding fabric for the pink and green quilt. I baked two treats for my daughter in law yesterday so I didn't get this cut yet.
This Stonehenge fabric quilt was next in line to be quilted. Diana in SC, if you got to the Label List on my right sidebar and click on Sewing Machines, it tells about all of the machines I quilt on.
I used the channel lock to do straight lines. For those of you who don't have a long arm, the channel lock only lets the machine move side to side in a straight line. I have a couple blips in it and if I fix them I'll do it on my regular sewing machine.
My second champagne color cactus is blooming.
I have two orange/peach cactus plants and there was only one bloom on one of them. I moved the other one closer to the east window to encourage it to bloom.
My two friends came over to sew yesterday and I spent most of the time finding backings for quilts that I want to finish this week and next week. This was the simplest one to do next because it is only 40" wide so I didn't need to piece the back.
I used the same pink print that I used on my pink 16 patch. I have enough left to do binding but I think I will go darker with it and use one of the reds that are in the blocks.
So....that is two that are waiting for binding. They will probably be machine finished bindings.
The Amaryllis is blooming and it is a really rich red. So far it has been standing up straight with no sign of tipping.
I don't know if the 2 small buds will bloom but if they do it will be 6 blooms on one stalk. There are usually 4 and one time I had 5 on one.
Two friends refinished my Larkin desk for me. This has been in my life since I was a child. My mother had painted it at one point and I thought I would refinish it. After it sat in the garage for 10 years I realized I wasn't going to do it myself. My bookcase that got moved to the studio used to sit in this spot. You can see the dents in the carpet from it.
We finally had a sunny day yesterday so I could take a photo. I'm probably changing out the books on the bottom shelf to smaller ones like I have on the top shelf.
It is a lot richer looking than the photo shows. I love the inside of it.
Larkin desks were given in exchange for premium certificates from the Larkin soap company. My grandparents were married in 1910 and in a search I found a scan of a 1908 catalog page with 2 desks pictured that are similar to ones we had. My daughter has the other one.
Sometimes this trim on the front of the desk is damaged but mine is in great shape.
I loaded a quilt on my longarm yesterday and also cut the second purple quilt which I won't start sewing until January. I have decided there will be a third purple quilt with green added so I can use the first fabric shown on this post.
The Amaryllis with the wax coated bulb is almost ready to bloom, probably 2 more days for all of the flowers to open.
I got some of the triangles for the border on the Flock of Geese quilt sewn.
I tried to take a clear photo of a baby in a new bouncy seat but this being the best of 4 photos is still a little blurry. He was really enjoying it. It is great to have some little children at the Christmas party again.
The 3 year old was trying on his new snow pants and coat and he heard me open a can of Dr. Pepper. I poured most of it in my glass and gave him the can with about an ounce left in it. Here he is getting the last drop out. He was such a good boy opening his gifts and really looking at and enjoying each one. He crashed about mid afternoon and took a good nap.
Merry Christmas! I know.....this Santa is pretty strange.
Now I can show what I have been sewing for Christmas. This stack of pillowcases went to the east coast.
This stack of pillowcases will go to the party today. I let everyone choose the one they want instead of deciding for them.
The top two in the stack above are shown here with the PJ bottoms I made for my 3 year old great grandson. Altogether I used 19 yards of flannel. My granddaughter used 4 yards of flannel on her sewing day with me last week. That still leaves enough flannel to make at least a dozen quilts and many more pillowcases. However I'm glad to have reduced the stash by 23 yards.
Since I moved the serger cabinet out of my studio I have room for my bookcase in there now. The red edge on the right is the kitchen wall.
Turning to the left this is the rest of the wall. It is about 15 feet. I'm so happy to have a design wall on the main floor now too. The other 8 design walls are in the basement.
I did some more baking and making Chex mix and then started putting books back into the bookcase.
Tomorrow I'll show what went into the spot where the bookcase used to be. I thought I had taken a photo but it is on my cell phone and isn't very clear so I'll take another photo today.
I made this quilt top in 2010 and have been trying to figure out a pieced border to go between 2 light colored batik borders. When my friend got here we played around with a few ideas and this was the favorite. Here is a post where I tried another idea. I have a lot more triangle squares to sew.
Before my friend left we put the Seed Packet squares back up on a design wall. I have lots of cutting to do for the 2 rows of small squares that border this. I can see a couple squares I want to move too.
Here is my weekly report on the wax coated Amaryllis bulb. It has gotten a little taller than I thought it would be.
It is getting ready to bloom and it looks like it will be red.
It took me about an hour to achieve this.......what is this? A clean work surface........something I haven't seen for a long time. If you want to see the other side of the cabinet or want info about it go to this post.
I spent another hour going through all of the stuff on the cutting table. It isn't cleaned off by any means but I can cut something there now. There is a leaf folded down so if I need more space I can raise that.
I also made another batch of fudge and some English toffee squares. I have company coming today, a reader of my blog who visits me every year at this time when she is traveling through my area of the country.
Yesterday's photo was just blocks on the design wall. Today is the quilt top sewn together. It ended up 53" x 72". I have enough of two different backing fabrics that I could add a border if I want it larger.
Here is the first fabric. It is purple and green.
This is the second choice for backing. It is also in two blocks in the quilt top. I still have Christmas sewing to finish so I won't make any more decisions for a few days.
I sewed the final eight blocks and then started playing on the design wall. I had half of it up there previously after I sewed the first 56 blocks. I took photos and then rearranged a few blocks 3 times and then decided it looked OK. I started sewing the seams and have only 5 more cross seams to sew. I have to get back at a little more Christmas sewing today and then I'll finish it.
I didn't do any more baking yesterday but I'll have to do a little more on Saturday.
I made 4 Christmas gifts (can't show them) and more baking yesterday. I also was busy getting packages ready to mail today. Last night I chose the strips to sew the last 4 combinations to make 7 blocks for my 16 patch quilt. I sewed the strip sets and cut the segments to make the blocks.
Another red Christmas cactus started blooming yesterday. The blooms are red and white. Not much of the white is showing here from this angle.
The champagne colored cactus has lots of blooms right now. I have 28 cactus plants so there is something in bloom almost all winter. I have 2 orange/peach and one of them has one bud. They usually don't bloom until after the first of the year.
