1/9/15

Some Blocks

Yesterday I spent most of the day catching up on my housework, and so I didn't get into the sewing room until late in the day. That meant the only "sewing" I did was of the "cutting" variety. It was kind of nice, however, because I could just get going when I made my way there today. I made my block for this month's Block Lotto...this double nine-patch. This was kind of fun:


Then I made my bee blocks. I'm in a quilting bee this year...the We Bee With It bee. It's supposed to be a "modern" bee, but the first blocks requested were "flying geese" blocks of any variety. I decided to make a Dutchman's Puzzle.



This bee only runs for six months, and so we are each requested to make two blocks per month. I've never made the Dutchman's Puzzle before, and these too were kind of fun. 

When I was finished with those, I was kind of tired of sewing, and so I left it there. Tomorrow I'll start finishing up my Aspen Tree, getting it to flimsy stage.


When it's finished, I'll have four quilts to sandwich. My goal is to have those sandwiches made by the 15th, and so I still have lots of time.

This morning I walked with my friend Sue, and my recent little mystery was for her. Now that she has it, I can show you the little mug rug I made for my pig-loving friend.


I was perusing free patterns on Craftsy when I came across this one, perfect for Sue. It's designed by a woman who calls herself 2strings, and she has a lot of cute patterns on Craftsy.

Other than that, I don't have much to show or tell. I did come across a couple of things I wanted to pass along, however. For one thing, I found this great tutorial on finishing off a binding. I don't know about you, but there are certain things that simply will not enter my brain. Despite watching tutorial after tutorial, crying, weeping, and moaning, (not to mention swearing), I seem unable to learn how to end off my binding, and I would be helpless without my Cut-Rite Bind-Up Tool. I shared this tool in a blog hop some time ago. (You can read my post right here.)

Despite my nifty tool, whenever I finish off a binding, I find myself on the edge of anxiety at the thought that I could break or lose the tool, and then I'd be up a creek without a paddle, as they say. (Actually, I've heard it said including the name of the creek, which happens to be a bad word. I had to mention that since I am, at heart, a potty mouth.) So, with that in mind, I was very happy to come across a free tutorial on Craftsy this morning that absolutely made me want to slap my hand to my forehead in a THAT'S-HOW-YOU-DO-IT! moment. Why didn't anyone tell me how to do it that way before? Anyway...if you're like me, then click right here and feast your eyes.

Also, thanks to my good friend, Denise for posting this link to a free class on Crazy Quilting. I might join in, although my plate is pretty full right now. You only have until the 13th to join in, so don't tarry.

So, that's it from me today. I think I can get in a quick nap before Mike gets home.


13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing the link to 2strings and her patterns on Craftsy. I, too, like her style (she was new to me and I might never have found her without your shout out:). I need to make a mug mat for a guild swap and found a pattern I really like on her shop site.

:) Linda

Kate said...

First, that red fabric is the first fabric my older son ever picked out for himself! Second, yes, times a million on that binding tutorial. It's the same way as the Missouri Quilt Co video, if someone wants to watch it in action, and I started doing it that way last year. Every binding has been perfect since then.

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Love the piggy mug rug!! I have to play with that one. And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but google search the image of the Dutchman's Puzzle. Your sub units are pieced together wrong - you should end up with a pinwheel center (unless this is how the group bee has shown you to put them together - then it's not the Dutchman).

Lyndsey said...

I love the piggy mug rug. I have a lot of cute mug rug patterns in my craftsy pattern area all waiting to be made. Maybe this year will be the one when i get them made. I love that method of finishing the binding as it always works (unless you mis-measure as I did recently.)

Barb H said...

So glad you "discovered" how to join your binding strips. I learned that technique in a class several years ago and have used it (and loved it) ever since. Now, if I could figure out how to turn perfect mitered corners in the binding, I'd be a happy quilter!

Dana Gaffney said...

Thanks for that tip on the binding, I don't really have a problem, but I'm going to try this out. Reading the comments, I think lots of people knew about this, huh.

WoolenSails said...

Sadly, even a tool wouldn't help me, lol.
I had taped a great tutorial on binding but one day it got erased so hoping they reshow it someday.

Debbie

quiltzyx said...

Finish, finish, finish - I think that "FINISH" is your "word" for 2015! Great jobs, all too!
The piggy mug rug is cute - I have to go & check out her other Craftsy things. I always smile when you say "I went walking with my friend Sue..." - makes me feel like I got some exercise too - hah! And then to see the binding tute. I'm with you, I have to watch every time I get to that point if I want to not do the overlap jobbie. Thanks for the links!

Snoodles said...

Oh wow! Love the cute piggy, and that is an awesome way to finish off the binding! Yay! ("Scuse my happy dancing, that has been a problem for me, for years.) Now I will have perfect bindings! :)

Betty said...

That is the cutest piggy I have ever seen! That binding tutorial shows exactly how I do my binding. Took me a while to get my head around it at first, but now it is stuck there. I did a demo on it for my guild and one lady said "So you're basically saying I wasted my money on the binding tool!". Well yeah, kinda sorta!

Brown Family said...

I love the pig! That is the way I learned to do bindings. I had to pin the diagonal seam a few times to make sure I did not twist the binding. Now I do it with out even thinking!

Kate said...

That pig is such fun, hope Sue got a kick out of it. I have a book on "ending" and I always have to get it out and follow the pictures to be sure I've got the binding ends joined properly.

Turid said...

I love that cute little pig mug rug. Thanks for showing us.