Finally, a Finish

 On Saturday, Lou put out a challenge that we both “dust off our quilting frames” and get quilting.  My first reaction, while having breakfast, was “Oh Loo-ou!”. Then once I did a couple of other things I was brave and headed into the sewing room to start to have a tidy up.

A few hours later, Monique had been excavated.  Now, this photo was strategically angled.  We won’t look at the other side of the room.  LOL. However, quite a bit of tidying up and putting away did take place.

The quilt I was going to play with was the little half square baby quilt that I finished piecing up at Scrub Stitchin’.  This was to be my Chookshed Stitchers’ Challenge for May, after I was unable to find my NZ fabrics.  Our impromptu trip to the UK put paid to that, so now was its time to shine.

This little quilt has transpired to be something created from not much.  The feature fabrics are a partial charm pack that I purchased quite some years back at a market stall for $3.  The white is from stash.  I always have a supply of white.

I stitched the HST blocks as a leader and ender while at Scrub Stitchin’ in 2022.  They were trimmed down shortly thereafter, and then languished in the “To Do” pile, getting carried over month after month……until Scrub Stitchin’ this year.

In some respects, it was a good thing the quilting was delayed, as I found the ideal backing fabric on our recent trip north in an op shop.   To my delight, it was wide enough that I didn’t have to piece the backing.  I also found I had a batting off cut that was just the right size.  Everything was falling into place.

Once loaded on the frame I was using up the last little bits of bobbin for the basting and first partial pattern row.  All was going swimmingly, until the last little curvy bit.  At least it ran out beside the quilt top, and not in the middle of the stitching.  Other than that, it all went rather well.

By late Saturday afternoon the quilting was completed.  What a bonus.  I definitely didn’t expect to have a quilted quilt and a somewhat tidier sewing room when I hopped out of bed that morning.

Sunday morning, after baking a cake, saw me back in the sewing room to finish it off.  Keeping on the “it was meant to be” theme, I just happened to have four 2 1/2 inch by width of fabric white strips cut out.  Just the right amount for the binding, which I attached by machine.  I’m feeling quite comfortable with this method on donation quilts now.

And showing the cute backing fabric, which was just the right colours.

This turned out to be a very cute little baby quilt.  I really like the way the twisty lines worked out.  It will be donated, once I get a few more quilts made.

Another one to tick off the list.