BINDING BY MACHINE

Mom had some leftover pink fabric.  It was just enough for me to make bias binding for the Pink Elephant quilt.  I put it on entirely by machine for the first time.  And it worked out great!

I sewed it down to the back first, then used my wooden seam presser to press it over.  I clipped it down with my wonder-clips.

Then I sewed it down on the front, being very careful to get it right over the sew-down line of stitching.

The fall colors have been stunning this fall.  We are seeing spectacular trees everywhere - and I don't remember it ever being so colorful.

Lincoln Park ridge trail

This is the grove of trees I've been taking pictures of all year and posting on Instagram.

They cut down one of my trees!  It's changed now.

Jelly and Jax have really been enjoying this weather, too.

Walk, walk, walk, walk, sniff, walk, walk.

I saw this Monkey Puzzle tree and was struck by the angles. 

GETTING THE BACK DONE

I whipped together the back for Children's Library today, after our walk in the park.

Our pond with a net over it to catch the falling leaves.

At Lincoln Park on the ridge trail.

At Lincoln Park 

I have always loved this view 

 

The back for Children's Library Quilt

 I got it loaded onto Eduard and got a pantograph set up and a couple of rows quilted, too.

CHILDRENS LIBRARY TOP FINISHED

Wow, I was really hating this quilt top and just wanted to finish it and get it off my wall.  It looked very disjointed and lacking.

I knew it needed a border, but I did not have enough of one of the fabrics to make even a narrow border.  So, I went with a scrappy one -and-a-half-inch-squares border.  I cut up a bunch of squares from all of the fabrics I used in the quilt top - except for the whites.  

I think it really improved it.  Its not one of my favorites and has really turned me off to this kind of quilt - a mystery sew along.  I would have done a few things differently if I knew what it was going to look like from the beginning.

Here it is:

LAST BLOCK

I made the last block for the quilt along - Children's Library.

I got the whole thing mostly done, I need to add a border.

LITTLE LEAF BLOCKS

I started putting together the smaller of the leaf blocks.   There's 28 of them and 12 big blocks.

SQUARING UP

I took my half-square triangle squares to work and during my free time I squared them down (or up).

Anyway, they are ready to become part of a quilt.

SEWN TOGETHER

I took the day off from work - got a lot done.

And, I got the half square triangles sewn together for my next project.

Now, they just need to be squared up - down.

There's a pile of them.

NEW PROJECT

Yes, I might be a little nutty. 

But - I am starting a new project.

Got the background cut out today.

CHAIN REACTION QUILTED

I did get Chain Reaction quilted today.  I had lots of other things to do, but I got it done!  And it's off the machine.  Number Ten is in the books.  (except for the binding).

GOOD PROGRESS

I was out in the studio before 7am and went to work quilting on Chain Reaction.  I got a good three rows and their sides done.  I even rolled it forward, unpinned the bottom side of the top and basted it down and then stitched in the ditch around all the remaining squares.  I'm all set to finish it up tomorrow.

I am now repeating patterns that I did on the first half.  I seem to be doing a much better job.

This 'Peony' is much better.  I've done quite a few of these now.

Darrell and I took the dogs to Lincoln Park then had sandwiches at Wildwood Market and Deli.  

I got my Mom's paint-by-number sunflower painting hung up finally.  I sent her a picture of my collection.

That's Mom's on the bottom left.

INTO THE MIDDLE

I made it into the middle of the Chain Reaction quilt with the quilting.  From here on I'll just be repeating the patterns - less thinking involved.

Faye's Flower on one side of the center row.

I wanted to use my new 'Swiss Cheese' circle template ruler, so I came up with this goofy design for the center row.

And then Faye's Flower again on the row next to the center on the other side.

WEDNESDAY STUFF

I was out in the studio early and went right to work on quilting Chain Reaction.  I got a few more rows done and advanced it before going to our walk.

My own design, sort of.

This is one I've used before.  I think it's called Peony.

Didn't do such a good job with this free-motion.  

 After the walk, I was in the garage hooking up a new light fixture.  Of course, there was the mandatory trip to McLendon's Hardware.   It is up and it even works.

I went back up to the studio and pulled out an old project - The Children's Library, quilt-along with Pat Sloan.  I haven't worked on this in months.

These are part of the setting.  That grey is really a blue.

TUESDAY BUSY

 Went out to the studio early, before breakfast, and sewed together another quarter of Fancy Forest.  

After the dog walk, we went to Pacific Fabrics to get  backings for several little quilts that Mom is piecing for me and I picked up three fabrics to use on the back of Fancy Forest.

After lunch, I worked on quilting Chain Reaction and got another couple of rows done.  I'm putting flowers in the 'border' rows and using rulers in the 'squares'. 

I used a 4" round ruler and then free-motioned the design in the center.

I had to sit down for a while when my knees started aching, so I went back to work on Fancy Forest and got the last quadrant together and joined the bottom half together.

I love how the back is just as interesting as the front.

I had time enough to join the two halves together and put on the borders. - FINISHED!  Now I have to start thinking about the back.

STARTING NUMBER 10

I loaded the tenth quilt onto my A-1 Quilting Machine (Eduard) today - finally.   Seems like it's been quite a while...

This is the Chain Reaction quilt that I just made.  I loaded it in long side across the machine.

I'm doing something different in every row.

I'll have to remember what went where, so when I get to the other side I can repeat it, since the quilt is a mirror image on each side.

Some are free-motion

Some squares are done with rulers.