I cut the strips for one queen size Trip Around the World and one approximately 40" square table topper or wallhanging. I didn't have enough of all of the fabrics to cut both projects so the small one has fewer fabrics. I will save the large quilt for January but I may start the smaller one for TV time sewing.
I had one complete finish for November. This is a variation of a quilt in a Kathy Doughty book. One of her students made it with this setting and she posted it on her blog. I figured out the dimensions and made my version of it. I think it finished at 67" x 74" but I didn't want to make another trip to the basement at midnight to measure it again.
I finished 2 quilt tops. I had another TAW top almost done but it needs the border sewn on. This one pictured is big enough without a border.
Three dishcloths are added to the pile. The one on the right has 4 different yarns. Two of them are tweedy, one with red and blue and the other with red and beige. With these added I'm at 46 for the year so I will meet my goal of 48, 4 a month average, with the two I have already started.
I worked on the hand sewing part of the binding for 3 hours last night and got 2 1/2 sides done. I'm going to consider this one a November finish since it is so close. I'll do my November recap tomorrow.
Here are three of the current blooming cacti, the orange, pale pink and white.
There were others in bloom but not at the best photographic stage.
I stopped at Goodwill on the way home from church and scored big on pots. I had a 25% off coupon to use in my birthday month and since it was the last day of the month, it was my last chance.
I have had the backing and batting for this quilt hanging over a rail of my longarm frame for almost 2 months. Finally yesterday I sewed the seam in the backing, loaded it and quilted it.
I chose this gray/beige Jinny Beyer print for the binding. I didn't want to emphasize any one color with 9 different color blocks in the quilt so I went neutral.
I have just a narrow band of it showing here and it looks good with the front and backing. I cut the binding but didn't sew it on yet.
I also sewed the last four blocks and played with the layout. I'll check it later today to see if I'm still happy with it and then sew it together. There are some old fabrics in these blocks, from the late 1980s and early 1990s all the way up to a few new ones I have purchased in the last few years.
Four blocks were sewn yesterday. I had errands to run and knitted for awhile. I even made a casserole with turkey leftovers and froze 4 meals for the coming weeks. Refer back to this post for the book and the beginning of this quilt.
The sewing is done on the parts of the last four blocks. 4 across by 5 down will measure about 64" x 80" so it will be a nice large couch quilt.
We finally made it above 32 degrees yesterday and today is supposed to be in the 50s. I guess that means I need to get outside for some final winterizing today.
It is time to take this quilt top off the double design wall so I needed to try the border auditions. This print, another by Keiko Goke, was my original choice for the border. After seeing it next to the quilt I changed my mind. I tried a stop border too and didn't like that either.
Then I tried the black background print that is like the white one in the quilt top (positive/negative prints). I think that is what I am going to use.
I got all of the fabrics pressed and cut for the remaining 12 blocks for this new quilt. If you haven't been following along, here is the post where I show the book and the first blocks. In this post I first showed this block (third one down) as a possibility for a layout. I took the 16 pieces from 4 blocks and played with them before I sew the rail fence blocks. This first layout is every other block turned a quarter turn.
This layout has all blocks in the same position. The solid border between blocks that is formed could go horizontal or vertical.
Fabric choices would be important for these layouts. I think it would have to be more coordinated instead of contrasting like I'm using for the rail fence layout.
Just a quick photo to show I have added 2 more blocks. This photo was taken under different lights than on previous days. Thanksgiving dinner went well last night. The turkey was especially moist and delicious. We actually sat down very close to the time we had planned. It isn't easy to get it all to the table at the right temperature and on time.
