OK~I PROMISE~I'T REALLY FINISHED THIS TIME!!

LULU IS SO SO TIRED OF THIS QUILT. SHE SAID SHE CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I AM POSTING IT AGAIN!!!

I keep claiming that this quilt is "FINISHED". Well, the piecing is finished, the quilting is finished, and now the binding and label are finished. So girls, it is truly finished this time. I promise you. I wanted to put a satin binding on it as babies and young children seem to love to rub a soft silky feeling edge to sooth them and calm them when tired. I couldn't find a color I really liked, but finally settled on this light blue.

I had the quilter to leave the quilt untrimmed so that I could trim the batting and binding as needed from the edge of the quilt according to the binding width so that the binding would look full and nice. I ended up timming it 1 3/4 inch from the edge of the quilt (binding was 2 inches wide). I tried attaching this binding the same as I would a narrow cotton binding and you can't really do that as the binding has finished edges therefore it is just top stitched on--front and back at the same time. I went HERE for my first tips on how to attach.

I used a narrow zig zag stitch and invisible thread. This worked well--with the zig zag stitch you have a better chance of catching the back edge of the binding, but just in case you don't sometimes I can say with experience that you can go back and stitch down the parts that did not catch with a straight stitch and no one will ever know.

I stitched all the way to the corner of the quilt edge (not the batting/backing) and then pulled the quilt from under the machine so I could work with the corner. I folded the binding down the next side being careful to see that the corner of the binding met the corner of the batting/backing corner. I then pinned and then went back to the corner and folded the excess fabric inside the mitre one way on the front side and opposite on the backside. I then put the quilt back under the machine and started stitching down the next side.

You can see here that the invisible thread and the small zig zag stitch look very neat and nice. I sewed the corners down by hand.
Here is my label. I love this little poem. This is what it says:

It's Your Quilt

It's OK if you sit on your quilt.

It's OK if your bottle gets spilt.

If you swallow some air And you burp, don't despair,

It's OK if you spit on your quilt.

There are scraps old and new in your quilt,

Put together for you on your quilt.

If your gums feel numb'Cause your teeth haven't come}

It's OK if you chew on your quilt.

We expect you to lie on your quilt,

If you hurt you may cry on your quilt.

On a cold rainy night,Don't you fret, you're all right,

You'll be snug, warm and dry on your quilt.

by Nancy Riddell

There is one more tutorial on applying satin blanket binding available online, but I did not find it very helpful. If you know of one, please post a comment. I would love to share it with everyone. I have searched, but have not been successful. The Wrights site is the best one I found.

Judy's Quilt-a-Thon--HELP! update #1 and update #2 late

UPDATE #2 better late than never.

I am way late with this second update, but I figure better late than never. Here is Cullen's quilt with the star block components finished. I still have to put the blocks together. Tomorrow I will get that done and report in again. Another result of todays work is a tutorial for the quarter square triangles. Find it here.

Need so bad to work on my baby's quilt. I am very busy today and tomorrow, but thought joining this Quilt-a Thon might spur me to use every extra minute on Cullen's Quilt. We found out Thursday that Baby Cullen has a hernia. He will visit a pediatric surgeon on Tuesday. Prayers and thoughts are very much appreciated. He is 2 months old and weighs 12 pounds. Go Here to see what I have accomplished so far. I will update later on today when and if I get something more done. THANKS!! WISH ME LUCK!!

UPDATE #1 ~~This is what I got done today. Not much, but I think I did good for no more time that I had today. I had much to do. I will continue tomorrow and try to finish the other five Ohio Star blocks. I will still have some half squares to make unless I decide to put it together like it is. It is big enough I think. Oh well, I will sleep on it (no pun intended).

BABY QUILT OFF TO A GOOD START

The last embroidery design came out of my machine. Cullen's baby quilt is finally going to be a reality.

Cowboy motifs? you say? of Course!! I say!! Nothing less for our "Little Cowboy".

Here are the rest of the designs. They will be combined with a star block with fussy cuts from a juvenile Western fabric.

Here is the first finished block.---

More to come!

FYI

Previous SBS post was updated with my own Texas Susie Pattern. The PDF has been posted to my sidebar. Please take a copy for your own use. Leave me a comment and link back to my blog please. I would really appreciate it!.

CORNBREAD, THE EASY WAY!

I am a little closer to starting my grandson's 1st quilt. I have had some fabric up on my design wall and pulled some to go with it, but just have not been happy with it. Has that ever happened to you? My first inclination is to "BUY MORE"-- but then, SURELY, with all this stash I can find something that will make a good looking quilt. It doesn't have to be all that big! Or all that great a quilt. After all, it will just be dragged around and spit up on and peed on and sssssssssshhhhhhhiiiiii-----------pped off to here and there. I have some small pieces of a Michael Miller little cowboy fabric that I think would be enough for centers of a block. Sawtooth stars would be cute or Hole in the Barn Door. HHHHHMMM--I decide to look through some of my books. I remember that I have one that specializes in quilts made with panels and theme prints. Here it is----

Clever Quilts by Susan Teegarden Dissmore. As I look through it, I remember that it really is a neat book and the settings and ideas for quilts can be used for any quilts, not just theme quilts. Here is one quilt that I really like and I think it would look cute with embroidery blocks in the theme prints are and then the little cowboy fabric in the center of the stars.

So now I look through my embroidery designs and see if I have any designs that will work. I did find some and have transfered them to my Janome 11000. They are ready to stitch out, but alas I must WASH the background fabric as I am afraid not to--or I'll get puckering when it is finally washed. I don't like puckering--can't stand for no puckerin!! Sorry--my Texas accent just took over. I will have to report back with more progress. I will get there, really I will. I have put this quilt off for so long. About 10 months now. I planned to have it done by the time the baby was born--he was born December 16th--oh well, I will get it done by Christmas--didn't happen. Now I am thinking by the time he is 1---no I am kidding --I will have it done by the time he is 2 months old. That is my goal. He will 1 month next week.

Please excuse my pictures. I did get a new camera, but have not really learned how to use it yet, nor have I loaded the software.

One more thing before I go. For supper tonight I had pork chops, blackeyed peas, okra/tomatoes, and Mexican Cornbread. My son loved it all, but I ate one piece of cornbread and he ate the rest except what is in the picture below. He said it was the best cornbread he had ever eaten. I used cornbread mix and added some extra ingredients. I thought I would tell you so you could try it out on your family and see if they like it.

1 package of cornbread mix --I use white and a brand with no sugar.

1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (sharp)

1/2 can of cream style corn

A few pickled Jalapeno peppers without the seeds and about 1 T of the juice.

1/4 cup of chopped onion

1 egg

1/3 cup of milk or enough to make it the right consistency.

Heat about 1/4 cup of oil in an iron skillet at 425 for about 10 minutes until really hot. Pour mixture into the hot skillet (has to be hot enough to sizzle when the batter is poured in).

Put back in the oven and turn the oven down to 400 degrees. Bake about 15 to 20 minutes. I use a medium sized skillet for 1 package of mix.

This is kinda like the cake doctor but would be called the Cornbread doctor--LOL Try it out! I love shortcuts--especially when boys are full in the end.

Until later. ~m