My quilting thoughts and inspirations sprinkled with a glimpse of life down on the farm

Friday, January 29, 2016

Binding, Borders and Blues

Nigel (he's the furry one in the photo above) wasn't going to let me sew today, but he relented... so I did :-)
First of all I finished up this wee wallhanging... I'm extra pleased to get this finished; it is my OMG project I pledged to finish this month. Already I am loving this One Monthly Goal linkup which Heidi of Red Letter Quilts is running...it gave me the push I needed to finish this wallhanging.
As you can see I put a yellow peeper around the stitchery (the only part I had completed at the start of the month). After the quilting I bound it with a two coloured binding which gave the effect of another yellow peeper. The photo below shows that one strip of the binding is cut wider than the other; the binding is attached from the back and then machine sewn down on the front. 

Karen of karensquiltscrowscardinals did a very detailed tutorial on this method last year - I pinned it at the time and actually remembered to go back to it! (How often do you do a google search and discover something you've already saved? That's what I usually do - but not this time!)
This was a quick and easy way to bind... I am a little fussy with  lines of stitching showing where I don't want them and the back of this isn't entirely pretty but the front looks ok!
Thank you to Heidi for helping us set goals and meet them - here is the linkup for the OMG It's Finished Party!
(Don't forget you can click on the photos to enlarge them).

Nigel was still allowing me to sew after finishing that so I worked on some 9-patches I've been making as my leader and ender project this week....
..they're also my attempt to trim my scrapstash a little... this month's colour over at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge is blue. (Actually I discovered a little late that it's actually blue with a touch of purple..oops)
Big ones
Small ones
What a difference half an inch makes!!
The strips are cut at 1" and 1 ½" so finished block sizes are 1½" and 3" 
The 9-patches will form some projects I'm still mulling over but I'm happy just to be sewing up some scraps at this stage :-)
I've linked up to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge again - see more inspiring scrappy projects *here*.

Last post I was finishing up my Calendar Bears stitcheries. I've done them all now and even sashed and sewed the blocks together. Next up for this is borders and quilting...woot woot the end is in sight!

A little more detail.
This has been a happy project, I've just loved exploring their little personalities as I've stitched away!

While we've had some welcome rain lately, we've also been having some long hot summer days and the garden is starting to get that high summer look of faded flowers. However the Norfolk Island Hibiscus tree below is still flowering like crazy and is quite a bee factory... there's been quite a hummmmmm happening in it this month.
You can just see the sprinkle of pink....
A mass of flowers...
And many happy bees, humming away with their legs laden with pollen. 

You may have noticed that I'm in the process of changing my blog around a little. I've dropped the name lovetostitch and renamed it stitchingfarmgirl, from my blog address. My header is a work in progress :-)

I'm hoping for a weekend of sewing, probably under the fan, hope you're keeping cool - or warm - where ever you may be,
                                                      'till next time, happy creating,

36 comments:

  1. What a wonderful post to read and see! Your little stitchery is wonderful, especially with that cool binding! Love your blue blocks and the monthly stitcheries are delightful!

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  2. Nice finish for January Raewyn.. The peeper binding looks great..
    Nice blue 9 patches ..
    Love the sashing on your gorgeousness stitched Calender Bears..
    Always lovely to see photos of your place...

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  3. Congrats on the finish. I like those techniques to add a bit of yellow!

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  4. Oh your projects are just beautiful Raewyn -- I love the Peeper and Flanged Binding, that hint of yellow sets things off. I've found if I've been playing with the measurements and seam allowance on that binding to try to hide that stitching on the back -- one day I'll figure it out exact and share on a post. Thanks for giving it a try. Loving your bears too -- my that is a bunch of stitching. Thanks for the Shout-out and stay cool today. xoxoxo Karen

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  5. Congratulations on completing your goal for this month and for doing such a beautiful job on it! I love the look! I have admired Karen's two fabric binding method, too, but haven't incorporated it into a finished project yet. Gotta love those bears! They are the cutest! Your blog is looking great. Like how the header turned out. Everything you do always comes out so nice. xo!

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  6. Love that binding. It looks great and glad Nigel let you stitch your other blocks. The Bears look great all stitched together....lovely seeing them all the way across the Tasman xx So nice that you are providing the bees with all that blossom. I love your new blog header!!!

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  7. I just love visiting and seeing all the many things that you are making. Talk about a girl with many pots on the stove at the same time, LOL. Your little fingers must be in constant motion. I'll bet you even dream quilting . . . come on . . . confess . . . I know you do, LOL. Girlfriend, you are a huge inspiration :)
    Have a marvelous weekend!
    Connie :)

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  8. Such a sweet finish! And, oh, those bears!

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  9. I love all those projects that you have completed or are working on--
    I also did not know that the blue color this month needed a purple tone to it--that must be hard to find though!!
    my cat I had before miss gracie was named Bear--all black--and he did the same thing--his favorite place to park himself when I was sewing was on the cutting mat--
    try rotary cutting with a huge black cat in the middle and he hated to move, even an inch--I miss him!!
    well-we both have had a good month in the sewing field--not to carry that energy into February!!!
    love and laughter, di

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  10. I thought something was wrong with the post that came to me. LOL Okay, name change, got it. You did a great job on Michelle's bears. Lovely setting. Your finish of the month is beautiful. I've seen that binding demonstrated at one quilt show, but I need to see it again to really get it. This post got me part of the way there. I tend to forget things when they aren't in my face. LOL Love Nigel's resting spot!

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  11. Had to laugh at Nigels position in the sewing room!!! They know the best place to be. I too thought something was different and couldn't work out what until I read to the end of the post...nice changes. Lots of wonderful things happening in your sewing room..the wall hanging is lovley, haven't seen that peeper binding before. The stitcheries are beautiful, they look wonderful all together. Your scrap using blocks are wonderful too..some are so tiny!! Love the hum of busy bees...do you have hives on the farm?

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  12. By the placement of Nigel's paws I think he has been watching you and is soon to know how to use the Bernina. Maybe he want to make himself a quilt?
    Well done on the Finish - it's a great word and a good feeling.

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  13. Nigel is too funny!
    I love the little finished stitchery, and that bordered binding is very effective!
    Cute little 9-patch blocks. Will you keep making them with all of the scrap challenge colors, or do you have something specific in mind just for these?

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  14. im glad you said something about the name change as I thought I was losing my mind!!! lovely projects and I love that way of binding to finish it off. yes I forget what I have pinned to and often have the same thing several times in different places!!
    lots of lovely projects...
    Hugz

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  15. Hi Raewyn, a great post and I love your finishes. Beautiful flowers too.

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  16. It's good to go with something different now and again! Your Bears are looking lovely with those sashings - almost finished now!

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  17. Great finish with the stitchery and the two colour binding is lovely.
    The blue 9 patches are very sweet. Lots of possibilities.
    And well done with your progress on the bears. The end is very close for that one, too.
    Doesn't the garden appreciate a good drop of rain in Summer.

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  18. Great finishes and starts! I love that peeper binding too, gives a nice hint of a second colour.

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  19. great wallhanging and so impressed with the double binding. Bears are so cute, like you I love to hand embroider. I noticed the change of name very appropiate too

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  20. I love the finishing on that little quilt! I saw recently somewhere how to do that binding and am pretty sure \i forgot to pin it so will pin your link instead! Lovely blues and your Teddy's look great with their sashing. I am liking the new look. xx

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  21. The nine patches do look so different with 1 inch strips than with 1.5 inches. The tiny ones are so cute.

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  22. Congratulations on this wonderful finish. I didn't finish my OMG this month. So I envie you a lot lol. Thanks for the link as I have always wonder how to do that lovely binding. It looks so great on your quilt. ;^)

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  23. So many pretty things to see here. Love the cat photo and all your pretty little blue nine-patches. I've got to try that two colour binding, very effective.

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  24. That striped fabric, I mean fur, is amazing. My cat would love to have stockings like that. And the tiny nine patches are adorable too.

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  25. Nothing like a finish and you have a gorgeous one with your bears! Thanks for the tutorial tip, found a new blog to stalk lol

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  26. Thanks for the link to the binding. I've pinned it for future reference. Love the Calendar Bears!

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  27. hi Raewyn ,wow your work is amazing my friend ,love those bear blocks,lovely post my friend xx

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  28. lots of good sewing here............
    I like stitching farmgirl..............

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  29. This 2-color binding is one of my favorite ways to finish a quilt and accent a color. Your quilt looks great with it.
    Totally envious of your weather and lovely flowers. Snow, cold, and freezing rain in our forecast for the next few days.
    Your posts are always full of stitching projects that inspire me.

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  30. Lovely stitcheries! It's hard to imagine the weather being hot when it's so cold here :)

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  31. Dear Raewyn,
    I´m happy Nigel gave you the possibility to work on your lovely project. But also the stitcheries are lovely, the cute little bears so lovely.
    Here we have almost no winter, no snow, it´s strange!
    I wish you a good time.
    Many hugs
    sigisart

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  32. That tree is amazing!! It sure has been hot of late any rain is so welcome down here. Awoke to rain this morning, so good for the garden.

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  33. I love your embroidery projects! (And the photo of Nigel barricading the sewing machine made me laugh!)

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  34. The framed piece is beautifully done and the colors are perfect. That's a nice batch of blue nines also. The Bears are charming and such a nice project. Good going, girl!




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  35. Your embroidered wall hanging is so sweet....and those bears are so adorable...love Michelle's designs!!! Congrats on a great finish. Have a great day!!

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  36. Love it all, but the first picture is my favorite.....too cute.

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