BINDING ON SOLSTICE

I've been waiting for some Kona cotton solid, Bluebell, to be delivered that I wanted to use as binding for the Solstice Quilt.  It took about a week and a half to come from Hancock's of Paducah.

It arrived yesterday, I put it (and the rest of the fabric I ordered) through the wash and dry.  This morning I went out early to the studio and made the binding.

I now have a satisfying project to work on while watching TV.  [I've been re-watching "The Game of Thrones"]

Once I finish the binding, I need to put it in the wash and hope the yellow chalk that I used to mark it comes out!

PRELUDE QUILT

I heard a great idea a while back about using precut squares as the lead in and out while piecing (I don't know how to explain this).  I cut a group of leftover fabrics from a previous project into 3" squares and have been sewing them together as I piece other projects.

They finally came together into a small quilt, 35" by 45".

I put it on Eduard, my A-1 Longarm, (he finally gets a name) on Monday morning.  I set up a pantograph for the first time.  I used "Chinook" by Urban Elementz.  I was finished before dinner.  Yea!

I got out the thesaurus and looked for a name that meant something about lead-in or in-the-beginning and came up with "Prelude".  This is LA004.

DEDICATION ROSE BLOCK

I started this block on our trip to Kansas City Missouri at the beginning of June.  I finally finished it today at work (as finished as it's going to get).
This is Block 55 "Dedication Rose" of Splendid Sampler, designed by Lisa Bongean.

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

I've been quilting a few minutes every night after work.

Practice, practice, practice.

SOLSTICE QUILT QUILTED

It took all week, but I got the last of it quilted this morning.

I took it off the machine and trimmed the batting off and squared it up.  It turned out great.

I started thinking about binding - what was I going to use?

My fallback was using the ugly plaid I put on the back - it sort of matches, but not really.

As I was making the binding (what a pain flannel is) it occurred to me that maybe a print would look good - especially a toile, a white with blue toile de Jouy.  I have some, somewhere.  When I looked through my stash I came up with 3 or 4 that might work, but I did not have enough to do the whole binding.  What about a solid?  I looked through my solids stash - nothing.

But I have a sample card for Kona Cotton Solids.  There are 303 color swatches on it - there's got to be one that matches, right?  Well, as it turns out, there is one that's sort of close.  That means I have to go order it and wait for it to get here.

QUILTING SOLSTICE QUILT

I've been working on quilting the Solstice Challenge Quilt all week, putting in an hour or two everyday.

Some days were a real challenge with a lot of picking out and re-doing and even some machine failures.

Jelly was curious and wanted to see what I was doing.

I'm not sure why, but my bobbin got all tangled up and froze.

After I cut away the bobbin thread, this was under the quilt.

The first block in the Challenge.

 At one point, the machine starting making funny clunking noises.  When I pulled it to the side, these parts flew off....

It took me a few minutes to figure out where they came from.

Oh, it's the thread guide that goes around the needle.

Luckily, I found the tiny little screw that holds it all together and after several attempts and adjustments, I managed to get it back where it belongs.  And tightened down very tight.

Quilt on.

SOLSTICE TOP FINISHED

I got the top all sewn together on the Solstice Quilt Challenge and made the back.  I even gave it a label.  

I loaded the back onto the machine, but I'm waiting on some batting.

COUCH ARM COVERS

Finished and installed!  Now I won't have to hang quilts over the leather couch to keep those pesky cats from tearing up its arms.  And it looks much neater, too.

HOME PROJECT CONTINUED

I got the couch arm covers quilted and sewed together.  I still need to finish the binding.

HOME PROJECT

We have a leather couch in the livingroom.  We have cats.  The two do not mix.  Consequently, our couch is always covered with quilts to keep them from scratching the leather.  The quilts are always falling off, and they just look messy.

I'm making some fitted quilted covers for the arms.

I bought the really thick batting from Dream Cotton, supreme, and am using a Kona Cotton color that matches the couch.

I've got several hours into the quilting (I'm going really slowly) doing a clamshell design.

But there is a lot of stopping and starting - which is good, I'm learning to pull up the bobbin thread and tie-off - but that means there is a lot of threads being cut and thrown on the floor.

Threads on the floor, and my Clamshell ruler.

I've had some issues on this project.  (It's all a learning experience).

I'll post pictures of the finished project, if it turns out!