Usually when I apologize for low-light pictures, it's because I've finished something well after the sun has gone down. This, however, is the rising sun. Through trees, to be fair, but yeah. March in the cold northeast.
Plinko patchwork is finished! It was planned to finish at 60"x72" - after a wash it will probably be a bit smaller.
I was stumped for a long time about how to quilt it, and I put this quilt down when the spinning wheel quilt came together. Putting quilts aside before they're done is rare for me, but I safety pin basted this one and then set it aside. As I worked on other stuff, I kicked around lots of options, then sat down and decided out of nowhere to quilt Hostess cupcake loops over the seams. Then, because it seemed like it needed a bit more and I couldn't remember which batting I'd used and therefore how much space I could leave between quilting lines, I did diagonals across the whole quilt.
My loops are, let's say, really really organic. I hated them while I was quilting, but now that it's done, I really like the effect and will probably use this again.
The very top of the back is more of the banner fabric, the middle is spooky trees, and the bottom is "Blast Off," a nice neutral geometic-y Connecting Threads clearance score. The banners were a Hawthorne Threads clearance score. Then my husband liked it so much that I scored more to make this quilt.
And, with great fanfare and a very tired leg, I present my first handspun:
Six ounces of a black/white wool/alpaca 2-ply. I can see how my spinning improved over the course of the two singles - there is a substantial amount of single left on the second bobbin I did, mostly because I didn't have huge slubs that could probably have produced a yard or two of single. I'm going to figure out how long it needs to rest and then wash it. Then I'm going to shellac it and put it on the wall. Maybe.
Linking up with Finish it Up Friday. Happy crafting!
Twin Quilt 2 is done!
It's the pattern that has become my standard for little babies, done in Connecting Threads charms and yardage with a couple other fabrics thrown in. Charm squares in a 6x7 grid, white border, complementary fabric border. I'm trying to adjust my buying to plan for this more in advance - the outside borders need a little more than a yard of fabric in order to not have to join (and match the pattern).
Oh, look, a quick tutorial is happening.
To match up these border fabrics, here's what I did:
First, I cut two portions of fabric that would together be long enough for the side border. Then, I folded down a little more than 1/4" on the narrower fabric, and applied a little bit of glue along the folded down edge.
Then I placed the fabric, folded side down, onto the fabric I was joining it to. Then I pushed down on it reeeeaaaal hard.
Then I carefully folded it up and pinned along the short edge. I sewed right along the fold.
Then I checked to make sure that the match was close enough that I didn't have to redo it, then trimmed the new seam down to about 1/4" and folded it open and pressed.
It's not perfect, but it's hardly noticeable in the finished quilt, especially with all the horizontal quilting lines that cross the border.
I also didn't buy enough of the backing fabric I'd originally planned for, so I turned to the stash and used these cute little seahorses instead.
Here are the two finished quilts together. Sometimes I have trouble getting finished objects to their recipients (on my shelf you'll find a scarf for the best boss ever, finished 11 months ago, as well as a baby blanket finished for a co-worker, whose baby is undoubtedly walking and possibly potty training by now. To be fair, I don't see either of them on a regular basis), but I'm hellbent on getting these babies these quilts.
Linking up with Finish it Up Friday at crazymomquilts. Happy crafting!
Oh, look, some spinning, too:
I CANNOT WAIT TO PLY.
