Pushing Hard Towards Spring

Another Jelly Roll Race - 

Sometimes it is fun to get off the "to-do list" and try something just for fun. I tried the Jelly Roll Race Quilt again with better results this time. I found a bin of neutral strips I had stashed away and brought those out with a few added red and brown(ish) squares. It took me a little over 3 hours but I have to add an extra day to cut and piece the borders I added.

This quilt is quite heavy for its size. I am using a plain muslin backing and pieced batting pieces (see previous post). It is all basted together and ready to be machine quilted...by me. I have only done one small baby quilt on my Domestic Sewing Machine so this will be an adventure!


Abby's Wish - 

Another unfinished quilt that has been stored away since beginning it in 2002. This pattern was taken from BH&G American Patchwork & Quilting Magazine's, Quilt Sampler 2002. 

I had all the blocks completed but never got them joined together. I was really, really skimping on the sashing and border fabric! That is where I got stuck and why I put it in the closet until now.  I barely got by, and if you look very closely, you can see where I added an alternative fabric that is a close match. The lesson here is to be sure you have enough border fabric before you start! Ugh! This was painful, but it is now assembled and has been taken to my Machine Quilter. I can't wait to see it come back and I'll put the binding on so I can claim another finish.

This makes the 7th quilt top finished this year...but it is not a quilt until it is quilted so...well, you know!

Spring is in the air! Things will slow down in the sewing room soon as we get busy outdoors. It is a thrill to get my hands dirty and smell that fresh earth scent!!

Happy stitching!

Going Batty

I have a whole bin of batting pieces leftover from previous quilts. I've never had the heart to throw them away so I dug these out and decided to measure and label them for future use.

I even had enough pieces to make batting for 2 twin size quilts after fusing them together! To do that, I used 2.5" strips of lightweight fusible interfacing to butt and join the seams together.

Carefully butt the seams together so there is no ridge. You do not want a bump to show through your quilt where you joined these units together. While pressing I ALWAYS use a pressing cloth so not to melt the batting on the faceplate of my iron. Yuck! What a mess that would make! 

 You can also run a long stitch to add more strength but it is not necessary if you are careful handling the completed sheet. I used dark thread in this example to show the stitches I used. Keep your tension on the light side so not to buckle the seam. Again, you do not want this to show through your quilt.

Now you can make yourself a "freebie" from leftover batting pieces, and feel very proud that you did not add to the mountain of landfills! Let's dance!

One two three, spread out the cape
One two three, twirl round the floor
One two three, left foot you swing
One two three, then start to sing
One two three, loud as you please
One two three, counting with ease
One two three, doing the batty bat
Batty batty bat batty bat batty bat batty bat
One two three count
Batty batty bat batty bat batty bat batty bat
Won't you dance with me doing the batty bat?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubrqYu_XVW0