Finishes this week

 Hi.  First, I want to say I'm so excited to announce I'm an Island Batik Ambassador for the 8th year!  I have my boxes and did the video, which you'll see next week.  The new members of our team are excited and already showing wonderful inspiration for you.  

I have some finishes this week! 

Pam, one of my Quiltsy team friends, asked in the chat about doing a binding that doesn't have mitered corners.  I suggested something like a waistband, but mentioned I needed to know how to do a 2 color miter, for this blue and orange Make it Modern with Hobb's challenge quilt I made in 2019.  I hadn't taken the time to do a search for information on it, but Pam had found a link.  I decided to find the yardage set aside for binding, and looked for other information.  I found one from CMT, but again, it wasn't exactly right, but her idea would work for my purpose.  I'll explain it in another post.  I didn't take photos of the process, but love the finish.  

I wanted the mitered binding to follow the diagonal line of the top.  I also looked at my quilting.  This was the second I had done on Vanna, my Handi-Quilter Amara with Prostitcher.  I think I've greatly improved!  It's great what a little practice and time will do.  This quilt measures about 49" square, and has a minkee back and Hobb's Cotton Wool blend batting. 

Another finish is the practice block for the Accquilt GO! challenge that year, which was using the Spider Web BOB die.  The block I made didn't seem to have enough contrast, but I didn't want to waste it, so I made it a mug rug/snack mat, or candle mat.  I wanted to use the same orange binding, so it was easy to cut an extra strip, sew it to the other 3 needed, and bind the square first.  I only needed a few inches, and knew that the baby quilt would have extra.  

Both of those are now listed in my Etsy shop.  

The other projects I've worked on this week include the baby quilts for the Evening Star Quilters guild.  Someone donated 4 tops, and I took 3 to finish.  

Two are finished quilting, and my friend is bringing the binding for one tomorrow, and we'll make the other binding, as well.  

Here's some photos of them.

I used orange Aurifil 40wt thread on the top, and a light grey Forty-3 on the back, since the backing is a white tone on tone.

I thought the Spaceman panto was perfect for the rockets on the fabric.  I think it's adorable!  

The yellow/blue quilt has a variety of bugs in the print, so I used Flutterby for the panto, in Aurifil 40wt Marrakesh, a variegated thread in red, yellow, blue, green and orange.  Christine has a striped fabric that should look cute for binding, and I have orange solid from Island Batik, for the space quilt.  The third is red, white and blue stars, and Christine will use it as a practice for loading a quilt on Vanna.  

The progress so far on the Medallion challenge for Island Batik's Ambassadors December is good.  I have about 1/2 the star done, and 3 of the 4 triangles.  When I get the bottom border done, I'll take it off the frame and turn it to do the remainding borders.  I don't have enough info on chunking the borders using Prostitcher, but an educator said to just take it off and turn it.  I'm using a combination of Prostitcher, ruler work and Free Motion quilting.  I hope to have it done by the weekend. 

On top of all of this, I've been teaching my sister-in-law and her twin how to sew.  They've made some memory pillows from their mom's clothes, and asked to make pouches for masks.  I'm excited to share this with them, and they're doing really well, and having fun.  

I have to get back to the other goals I set in the beginning of the month, as well.  The Island Batik Ambassador challenge is Placemats, and if you check the Island Batik Facebook page, you'll see links to many of the finished ones so far.  Mine?? Not a plan yet.  I have a couple of ideas percolating, then need to choose fabric.  I also want to start my son's quilt, and 2 pairs of pajamas and the APQ challenge is #7, which for me is the Apple Core quilt I started many years ago.  It needs borders and quilting.  But I jumped in with the orange and blue because Quiltsy team's challenge was a baby quilt listed this month.  

Am I doing too many challenges??  Maybe, but I hope to have progress on them all.  It's good to have goals.  It pushes me to sew something every day, and hopefully make something that someone wants to buy.  I enjoy knowing that I make something that gives someone a pretty item in their home, or that hug and warmth that only a handmade quilt can give. 

Thanks for visiting, and wish me luck on the rest of my goals for this month! 

Maryellen