May Finish

I finished this quilt a week ago and have been waiting on the sun to come back out for some better pictures.

I do not think it really worked. I waited to late in the day. So pictures anyway, and this quilt it finally finished.

This is the first real pieced back that I have made. Other pieced backs were just a couple of pieced sewn together, but this has a row of pieced assorted leftover scraps. It was so much fun to make.

My favorite part of this quilt is the binding.

It has what was left of the fat quarter orange fabric and what was left of the turquoise and lime green fabric from the borders and backing.

Measurements:

quilt: 77"x 91"

blocks finished: 14"x14"

sashing finished: 2"x14"

setting squares finished: 2"x2"

borders

sides finished: 5"x " 91"

top and bottom finished: 3 1/2"x 67"

Making Binding

All that is left on my sister's Tweety quilt is the binding. I am working on that today! This quilt will soon be a finish of 2011! I know she is saying "Finally!"

I am using these two tutorials:
http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2008/10/binding-tutorial.html
An everyday binding tutorial which is indepth and has lots of pictures!
http://bloominworkshop.wordpress.com/2010/09/19/a-machine-sewn-binding/
How to completly machine bind a quilt.

Pause

There was a short unwanted pause in quilting the Tweety quilt! I did not want to stop, but I did not have a water soluble pen that worked! I got out my pen and it worked, a little, at first, then stopped for good. NOOOO! I got out my caulk marker and it worked for the parts I needed, at first. I had white caulk in it and was just marking on green.

I decided that after stitching in the ditch along the sashing I would quilt the rest in a diagonal pattern similar to this quilt. I tried to do something similar to the way she quilted, but I did not succeed. So, I gave up and decided to just mark it.

After stitching in the ditch, trying to use a card stock guide, and then deciding to mark it, I found that I needed to mark on the white and blue sections. I tried to mark the quilt with white caulk (using a tool I have that has powder caulk in it that comes out in a wheel) which did not work. Out of desperation I removed the white caulk and placed blue in it. It kinda worked, kinda. The caulk is not made to last, which is good, it was blending into the blue (I cannot find where I put it or I would have a name, brand, and a picture), and my quilting lines were not straight. After trying both ways and having wavy lines (that I refuse to remove, they are not that bad!), I decided to stop for a little while.

Tuesday I got a water soluble pen, and got to marking! The quilt has now been fully marked and is almost finished! When it is finished I will post pictures.

Tweety Quilt

 Well, I finally started quilting my sister's Tweety Quilt.

I originally had the due date for her birthday, but she gave me 4 extra days! She is having a double birthday party with her boyfriend and told me I could give it to her then. Woo Hoo! 4 days. It will really be only 3 days, because I have to finish it before I go to the party. And what if she needs my help to decorate or something?! OK, that means I will NOT change to due date in my head! As long as I get it finished BEFORE the party we are good. So far it is about 1/4 quilted, and as soon as I finish this blog I will get back to work!