Binding Dandara's Quilt

It rained all day today, so I sewed.  It took me most of the afternoon to get the binding on Dandara's quilt.  Dandara is the eight-year-old girl that my brother and his partner are adopting.

It seems like I'm slower than most people at putting on binding.

 

The back of this quilt is pink minky.   It feels so good!  I wish minky came in 108 inch widths, so I could use it on bed sized quilts.  I don't like the idea of piecing it and having a thick seam on the back. 

 

Linking up:  http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2015/05/can-i-get-whoop-whoop-two-finishes.html

http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2015/05/catching-up-on-bee-blocks.html

Gypsy Wife Burnout

I worked on Gypsy Wife all last week. I have 3 sections left to go, and like to think the hard part is done.  I will have to do something with the right  bottom corner where I ran out of fabric.  I cut strips selvage to selvage and didn't waste a lot, but some of my strips had less than 40 inches of usable fabric when the selvages were cut off.  With a quilt this busy, I'm not too worried about substituting another fabric.  I'm at the point where I just want this done!

 

Linking up:  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2015/05/18/design-wall-may-18-2015/

http://www.freshlypieced.com/2015/05/wip-wednesday-i-need-nap.html

http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.ca/2015/05/lets-bee-social-73.html

Stash Report, Gypsy Wife Update

I bought binding fabric for Dandara's quilt this week, but it is just sitting there because I've been working on Gypsy Wife.  I've already done a lot of complaining about this pattern, so I won't go there again other than to say that this quilt has not been easy.  And I have hours of work left to go!

Used This Week:  0                                               
Used Year to Date: 32.875yards 
Added this week:  0.625 yards
Added year to date: 48.875 yards
 Net added: 16 yards

Linking up:  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2015/05/17/fabric-report-week-20-2015/

Gravity: Orbit Blocks

It has been such a pleasure to make these blocks.

  The pattern is clear with good instructions and large pictures.   The Hex N More and Side Kick rulers are easy to use. So far, so good!

Gypsy Wife Reboot

I pulled out Gypsy Wife last night.  This project has been packed away for a long time now because the pattern is confusing to me.  I am used to Bonnie Hunter's clear directions and diagrams and had a hard time following the Gypsy Wife pattern.  I was attracted to the pattern because the setting is unlike any other quilt I've seen. I also wanted to use up scraps.  I joined an online quilt along and kept up with the blocks last year. 

The problem is that once the blocks are made, you need to figure out where they go.  There are diagrams that divide the quilt into sections, but there aren't enough  measurements on the diagrams to determine exactly where the blocks belong.  I think just having a note saying something like ,' these blocks go in sections 1, 7  and 9 would solve the problem'.  Now it's like figuring out a jigsaw puzzle.  This was an expensive pattern  (over $20 for one pattern!), and I expect better directions when I pay that kind of money. This is my last Jen Kingwell quilt, not because I don't like her quilts, but because I don't like her patterns.

Here is a very rough cut of section one:

 

Linking up:  http://www.patchworktimes.com/?s=may+2015

Stash Report, The State of the Flowers

I used a little fabric this week binding Easy Street.

Used This Week:  0.625                                                
Used Year to Date: 32.875yards 
Added this week:  0 yards
Added year to date: 48.25 yards
 Net added: 15.375 yards

It has been the perfect weather for working outside.  I've been doing a lot of weeding in my flower beds, but there is still a lot more to be done.  The short purple irises are gone, but this is the peak time for yellow irises.

 

 I remember planting this lavender iris several years ago, but this is the first time it has bloomed.

 

The rhododendrons are starting to open.  They should be in full bloom in  a couple of days.

 

The peonies are almost ready to bloom too.  These are young plants, and they should fill out in a couple of years.

 

It is prime time for columbine.

It is hard to stay inside and sew when it is so nice out!  The pollen is still coming down, but it is getting better. I've done a little sewing, but nothing I can show yet.

Linking up:  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2015/05/10/fabric-report-week-19-2015/

Easy Street Bound

  I decided to bind Easy Street by machine.  It's a big quilt!  Here's half of it:

 

I don't have a flat space big enough to lay out the whole thing.

 

 

I am not a member of the slow quilt movement, but you'd never know it from this quilt.  I started it in November of 2012.

I am keeping this one.  I have a hard time letting scrappy quilts go, even when they don't go with anything in my house.

 

Linking up:  http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2015/05/shoo-fly-pillow-and-big-finish.html