3/19/21

Finally...a Finish!

Yesterday I was able to finish the first quilt since breaking my shoulder way back in December. My previous finish was actually much earlier...in November...and so you can see it's been a long dry spell. While I had good intentions of doing some housework, I spent most of the day finishing up the stitched inchies. It was an excellent demonstration of the quilters' maxim: Quilting forever...housework whenever.

So...ya wanna see?


If you read yesterday's post, you might remember I was undecided about how to quilt it, although I had lots of ideas. It turns out it was quilted with a little of everything. Straight lines in the narrow spaces between embroidery motifs...


Swirly-gigs where there was room (technical quilting terms...try to keep up)...


A fancy stitch from my sewing machine in the pink border. (If memory serves, this is Stitch #10 on my Bernina 750QE.) It's been a while since my machine was in for service. It needs to go in again soon. The machine should automatically adjust for stitch width, but when it stitched to the extreme left of this stitch, the needle was hitting the stitch plate. Obviously, it wasn't hitting straight on because it didn't break the needle, but I could hear it rubbing against the edge of the opening. I had to make the stitch narrower. Yeah, Big Bertha is letting me know she's tired of this pandemic preventing her spa treatments. Aren't we all?


Okay, and then a sort of pointy feather in the outer border. Birds, right?


Here's how it looked from the back.


My arm was hurting by then, and so I took a break. When I came back, I squared it up.


There was a scrap of leftover binding in my collection, and I had more yardage of this pastel stripe to make it long enough. The quilt ends up 18 x 22 inches.


During the hour we sat watching the news, I finished hand-stitching it, and voila! One finished quilt. Wanna see it again?


Here's how it looks from the back:


This was my quilt for March's


so I'll link up there when the time comes.

That was pretty much the end of my sewing day. I took just a little more time to sandwich my second mini for the month. This one should be very quick to quilt. I'm just going to do diagonal straight-line quilting on it.


I'll get that one finished today. When that's finished, I want to get started on my challenge quilt for the next Endeavourers reveal on May 1st. The prompt for this challenge is "color theory." I know what I'm going to do, and I pulled the fabrics I'll be using yesterday. I'll only be able to show you little peeks of this quilt as I make it, but you can see the fabrics. Intriguing, no?


It rained for most of the day yesterday, but the sun came out for a while just as it was setting. It made for some dramatic skies. From our front patio, it looked like this:


From our back patio, it looked like this:


And, hey...Happy Last Day of Winter!!! Spring starts tomorrow!


I am so ready to show you every blooming thing as it opens up.

So, today I really am going to take another stab at housework, but I'll probably finish my little quilt first. I do have my priorities. I'm trying a new recipe in the slow cooker today. I'll report back tomorrow if it's any good. And maybe I'll get to that lemon meringue tart today too. Morning is always full with possibilities.

17 comments:

Barbara said...

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

That is a fabulous finish! I still haven't finished my inchies. I got sidetracked with other projects and work. Housework whenever is my philosophy too, especially now with the pandemic when nobody else is allowed in the house.

MissPat said...

Well you know what Cynthia says, "Quilting is more fun than housework". I don't think any of us can argue with that. You're making great progress on finishing things or, at least, moving them forward. I'm making great progress on starting more things and finishing nothing.
Pat

Quilting Babcia said...

Your Inchies miniquilt turned out beautifully, and that backing fabric is just wonderful. So good to see you getting back into the groove, housework can just wait its turn, seems like it is always butting its insistent head into our precious quilting time.

Darlene S said...

What a fun post. Thank you as it brought me a much needed smile. I love your inchie quilt. Perfect borders, colors and free motion quilting. And what a wonderful quote to say goodbye to winter. I love it.

Susan said...

Love your finished quilt!

piecefulwendy said...

Yippee for the finish, and it's a nice one, too! That little red one should be a quick and easy one, like you said. Your color theory fabrics are much more colorful than my pull. I'm curious what you are coming up with. Mine is about 3/4's done. Not sure if I'll work on it today or do something else. Lemon tarts - yum!

Julierose said...

I just love how you used that birds and feathers fabrics for this one--it is just beautiful. You machine quilt so well..I finally finished all 176 Geese yesterday--they are resting on my sofa right now --as am I hahaha
Spring is here and my daughter can come visit tomorrow--doing my happy dance!! Hugs, Julierose

Elaine S. said...

Beautiful quilt! Love it! ❤️❤️

Stitches said...

Awwww, the Crabapple Inchie piece is so neat!! I love it and sitting here wondering why in the HECK I decided not to do it!!And your binding is really the perfect one too! Today is going to be a perfect day here in Iowa, should be about 65 degrees, hmmmm! And I get to meet my new great granddaughter, Eleanor Rae, for the first time. She was born on March 11, so she is really new! And then we are having a surprise birthday party for my son, who turned 50 on the 15th. It's a loaded day but one I'm looking forward too. I don't think I'll get much sewing done today..

Nancy in IN said...

Yea to your finish. Feels so good. Housework is not my thing either. Sunshine again today. Daffodils in bloom. Lots of crocus this year. I'm in middle Indiana.
Stay

Nancy in IN said...

Yea to your finish. Feels so good. Housework is not my thing either. Sunshine again today. Daffodils in bloom. Lots of crocus this year. I'm in middle Indiana.
Stay

SJSM said...

It rained all day for us ,too. I’d not kept an eye on the weather forecast and was caught by surprise. My last recollection was cloudy and perhaps a spritz. Good to get a little more moisture. A sparkling day today. Computer problems are taking up my time. Arghhhh.

Kate said...

Congrats on that first finish! It turned out beautifully. I pretty much fully practice your philosophy on housework, though I do keep up with the laundry. Mainly because we do need clean masks each day.

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

Yea! A finish! MUCH better than housework.

Vicki W said...

Two really cute finished in one week! Love the pinwheel one too. I hope you xray appointment went well.

Patty said...

Lovely quilt. Thanks for linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal and congrats on your finish.