Finally I have managed, with lots of encouragement from my 'supervisor' aka. hubby, to get most of the quilting done on the comforter that I have been working on - guess it comes down to the fact that when it is for a competition, you try just that much harder and end up .... stuffing it up, and having to unpick, unpick, unpick. All is good though and this afternoon I was able to attach the binding strips and to start pinning it down ready for hand stitching tomorrow.
Now to show you what else I have been putting together this month. Do you remember me buying a pack of fat 1/8th's back in March at the 'Girls Stitch In' I attended at Highfields (near Toowoomba), well I have put it all together and created a comforter that I am calling 'Pretty In Pink'.
It began with me thinking (that doesn't always work for me - thinking that is) that I would use a piece of pinky-red polar fleece for the backing, however, it just didn't seem to work.
So I left deciding on what I would back it with and concentrated in making the blocks from the 14 fat 1/8th's that I had.
They were tied together with a pretty piece of pink ribbon and I was able to add it as an embellishment to my blocks. I also added other bits and pieces as embellishment as well.
Next came a great find of a dusty pink polar fleece throw that I picked up and knew it would be absolutely perfect for this project. Now to go looking for 'something' to use for the sashing and border. Everything just seemed to fall into place. I cheated a tad with my quilting on this one (hey, it's for me!) so I found a wavey stitch on my machine, that I put down the centre of each line of sashing and then also around the border. Actually it looks really nice.
Now I was in a quandary as to what was required for the binding. As you can imagine I did not have a real lot of the fat 1/8th fabrics left, but thought they were just what it needed to finish it off. So began cutting up 1 1/2" strips that were as long as the scraps allowed. Some pieces were as small as 4" long, others 6-8" long. What blew me away was that I had enough joined (even on the diagonal) to make around 7m in length! Yes!! I had enough to use as a binding on this comforter.
Here is a photo of my finished comforter.
Now it's time to complete the comforter for the competition - closing date 31 July - and get onto beginning another one for hubby. I have cut the fabric ready for it, but feel it needs 'something' else, so will contemplate on it for a few more days before I begin it.
For now, I think I have earned a rest, so with feet up (yet again), I shall have a few pieces of chocolate and say goodnight.
'Til next time, take care and continue to stay safe.
June
I was so looking forward to today, hubby was going to be out all day from 7.30am to around 5pm and I was going to spend my day quietly quilting a comforter that I am creating for a competition (so I really can't show you the project as the finish date is not quite here yet) for Patchwork Therapy down in Victoria, however ....... at the moment it is me that needs the therapy.
The day started with me thawing out from the chill of the morning, then into my craft room after doing a few chores around the place.
To begin with I finished off a blouse I had purchased and needed a few minor adjustments - done!
Next came setting up my lovely little Elna Lotus ready for the quilting job. All good including using the mono-filament thread that I had bought especially for this job. - done.
Now, this is when things started to fall apart. Have my project all pinned ready to go. Stitched around one of the inner squares - ahh, bother, a tangle of threads - so that mess got pulled out.
OK, another start, oops, can't really see where I am supposed to be stitching 'in the ditch', change to my stronger glasses, still can't see what I am supposed to be doing. Hmm ......
Now I love my Elna, and it sews beautifully, BUT .... today, it just didn't want to play, and started making the most terrible 'clunking' noises, along with the spool upright deciding it was going to drop through to the inside of the machine. Out comes the phone and rang my lovely sewing machine mechanic - he was around in half an hour to pick it up and will have it back to me by the end of the week. No worries, change machines and bring out my Toyota Quiltmaster, which I am really not that fussed on to be honest, but when needs be, I will use it.
Finally, all seems to be going fine ..... no, no, no, that was just a 'furphy' folks! Did a couple of rows of stitching, and found where one piece of a block (right in the centre I might add) had not caught properly when I put the pieces together in the first place.
So, I will have to sit and undo the rows of quilting I have done, fix up the problem with the block and begin again. I am beginning to think that I was not really meant to take part in this competition. Will go and mull over it this afternoon, decide what my options are and have a chat with hubby tonight (let's face it, he is my 'supervisor' you know), then start again tomorrow.
In the middle of all this, I got on the computer to try and order a pattern for a Christmas project, but even that didn't go well - our debit card we use specifically for online purchases didn't want to work this morning (worked OK last night) so another gnashing of teeth!!
For now though, I will go and wash up my lunch things, pull out my book and have a quiet read.
I do have one finish for this month, but will post that in a few days, after I get myself out of this bad, bad day.
Hope you are all having a better day than me,
Cheers for now,
June
PS not even worth a photo or two!!
