#10 UFO Completely Done

It is totally, completely done. I was going to call it done when I had the top finished, so I am pretty impressed with myself. I didn't think I would be able to do it. It is quilted and bound and everything. I used a black fleece for the back and binding. It's pretty heavy, or course with all that thread it would be. Finished size is about 46 x 57, so not really a great cuddle quilt, but a good kid quilt. I think I'm going to give it to our guild's charity group.

I can add it to my finished projects tab, and mark it as done on my UFO list.

This was the one UFO I had the most to do on, so whichever one is chosen next should be a piece o' cake.

Using Things Up, Passing them On

 Here is the quilting on Totallly Tubular. I need to trim the back and bind it and I'm 100% done.

 Do you see the groove on that bolt. That's from my rotary cutter, I guess I've used it some. I don't think there is a way to get just the bolt replaced, and it rolls really weird now, so I'm giving it the heave-ho (well, it's going into recycling anyway)

 And last, I have packed up three boxes for IBOL and sent them off. It's not pretty fabric, but I think it's going to be useful for someone. I included sewing needles, pins, thread and some scissors, so someone will be able to use the fabric for something....I hope. Helping make peace, one box at a time.

Banner Quilting

 This isn't a very good picture, but it does give an idea of the quilting. Gari suggested that lines radiating from behind the shield might work. I went with that. I'm looking at it hanging and not liking the wrinkling I see. I don't know if I want to add more quilting to stabilize it more.

I need to walk away for a while and see what I think in the daylight.

Design Wall Monday

 I've had a productive week. Thanks Judy, for suggesting the UFO challenge. It seems when I work on getting "the assignment" done, I get a lot of other stuff done, too. First, I finished the UFO top for this month. Right now it is on my table being pinned because I am getting this one done, done, done. I was a bit exuberant when I finished it, you can see that post here.

Then I also finished another UFO, not one from the 12 for the year, but another one that I didn't even know was a UFO. It is for my niece who is pregnant, a baby quilt. I got the fleece on Saturday and finished quilting it yesterday. I did it simply, but it is done. It is in the box ready to send today. The shower is in California on Saturday, so I'm sending it to my sister so she can bring it because I'm not exactly sure where the shower is. My sister is so good to me.

And I cut out all the pieced for another QOV. This one is going to be a while. I'm going to get it done between other work. I've finished 5 blocks out of 42, so it will be a while. You can see the rectangles don't look exactly rectangular, they've got the pointy thing going on in the corners, but I think it will be fine.

And today, I quilt the church banner. That's my only job for today. I've been avoiding it because I really don't know what to do, but I'm going to figure it out today and get it done. I have to quilt it, add the tabs to the top and line it. I don't know if I'll get all of that done, but I'm going to give it my best shot.

To get inspired and see what else people have on their design walls, check out Judy's blog.

Another one Done

I find it every interesting that working on getting a UFO finished really motivates me to sew a lot more. Even when I don't like the one I'm working on. I hope this one gets to the party on time. I'll send it out tomorrow. I thought I'd already had it quilted...oops, so got it done today.I finished the top sometime last year. I can't find the post now, but it was in the middle of the year. I like the way these types of labels look. Easy to make and personal.

A Couple of Questions

I'm sitting here sewing the binding down, and my mind wanders. I think about all kinds of things, and sometimes I stop and look them up (I used to read dictionaries and encyclopedias...now I have the internet). A couple of things that were wandering around. 

Since I took a class back in 2003 or 2004 I have been pressing all of my seams open in all of my quilts. I remember I started then because I had lots of seams coming together in one spot and it would have been a big lump if I pressed to one side. I am a bit of a geek, so I did some looking online to see what other quilters thought about the open versus to one side pressing. One remark that sticks with me is that clothing seams certainly have much more stress than a quilting seams (in most cases) and they are pressed open, so obviously the stitching we are doing currently is plenty strong for pressed open seams, and then on more item about why we pressed to one side. When all quilts were hand stitched together, some of the stitches were larger and farther apart than we get with machine sewing. If those were pressed open, then you might see the batting through the seam line after a time.

It makes logical sense to me that pressing one way or another can't make the stitch stronger. The thread is the thread and the stitch is the stitch no matter which way the fabric goes...does that make sense to all of you, or am I a bit biased because I like the look of open-pressed seams and want to justify them?

Second question: hand or machine stitched binding? I stitch all of my binding on by machine. It is much quicker (and that means it will get done) and it is much stronger and longer lasting (at least than my hand stitching) for quilts that I expect will be thrown in the wash machine and dryer. I know if I ever wanted to enter a quilt in a show I would have to hand stitch the binding down, but I really don't make quilts to be put in a show. I get all the affirmation I need when I give a quilt away and get thanked. I make quilts for being used. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with putting quilts in shows, just not for me.

Second questions: do you hand stitch all your binding down? Why. If you machine stitch do you feel like you're doing a less than excellent job finishing?

Sometimes when I am sewing on the binding I feel like I'm just slapping it on, but I like the way it looks. I don't try to make it look like it is hand stitched...it never comes out well when I do try. I celebrate the stitches I put in the binding...I make them obvious...I SHOUT them!

Tah and Dah! UFO #10

Do you see that? Do you see that top over there? Do you know how many pieces that top has in it? Neither do I, but it's a LOT.

The best thing about it, the VERY best thing about it? IT IS DONE.

I can't say that I like it, but it is finished. You know tha saying, finished is better than perfect? In this case, finished is better than anything. I am going to put some sort of border around the top, probably a black border and then I can really call it done.

Do you see how many capital letters I have in this post? That is because there is no other way to show how delighted I am that I won't have to do any more work on this. There are so many freaking intersections that the only way I could possible quilt it across somehow. I'll figure it out so it can be out of my house.

It's 46 x 57, so two-thousand six-hundred and twenty-two inches of DONE.    YIPPEE!