Getting Up Close With My Quilting - Wiggle Line Quilting

I made this table runner at Quilts by Barb's Quilt Retreat a couple years ago.  It was a mini class that she taught at the Quilt Retreat. I do not know the name of the pattern.  I am trying to finish up some of my unfinished projects and this was one of them.

I quilted it recently and finally completed the binding on Sunday afternoon.

Instead of an embroidery stitch, I used the Zig Zag that has the tiny stitches for finishing the quilt binding. I think it fits perfectly!

I used two quilting thread colors.  Key Lime Green and Bermuda Blue and Black for the binding.

Here is an up close photo of the Wiggle Line Quilting in the center square of the table runner.

I almost forgot to stitch in my name and the year.  I stitched it right through the wiggle lines.

I flipped the end, so you can see the backside of the table runner.

And a full view of the table runner.

 I am planning to take time to post on Monday nights again, My Getting Up Close With My Quilting Posts. Life just gets so busy, sometimes there is not enough time in the day. If you click on the link here or the tags at the bottom of my post you will get this post first and then all the rest of the quilting posts.

Thanks for following my posts!  

Marcia

Show and Tell Saturday --- A Busy Week of Projects to Share!

During Project Quilting Season, I seem to get a ton of quilted projects finished.  Not just the six quilted projects.  I also finish up UFO's. During the off week, I straighten up things in my quilt room so I am ready for the next challenge. I am so inspired to sew and quilt that I just keep finishing projects one after another.

I found a small square quilted table topper/large hot pad, that I quilted about 8 years ago.  All it needed was binding.

My daughter and my Mom and I, together made a baby quilt for a friend of my daughter's and there was one block leftover and I quilted it - Yes --- 8 years ago! But I finished the binding this week!

The flip side.

Up Close to my quilting -- 8 years ago -- I was really into loops, hearts, stars, and swirls. It was a great whimsical overall quilting.

The fabric I used for the binding is a vintage feedsack fabric. I selected the zig zag embroidery stitching for the binding, that way it would be tight and secure making it more durable for using it and washing it.

These are some little bowls that my daughter bought when she was home the last time.  They did not fit in her suitcase.  I plan to pack them in my bag, when I go over to visit them.

I think she will like them with the little vintage looking table topper. Plus having a table topper from the fabrics as a memory of the baby quilt we made for her friend. I am sure she has fond memories of the three of us making the quilt together.  It was a Square in a Square Pattern.  I stitched, my Mom did the pressing and I taught my daughter how to use the ruler and the rotary cutter and she cut the pieces.  She had never used a rotary cutter before so the cuts where not accurate and it was an adventure for me trying to stitch pieces together, that were not lining up.  We did a lot of laughing that day!  Three generations working on one quilt! I will have to search for the photos of the baby quilt --- some day!

On Saturday, after I finished uploading the photos for Project Quilting of my Strings of Sunshine Table Topper, I made a table runner using the scraps.  Click here for the Sunday's Scraps post about the table runner I made from the scraps.

On Sunday afternoon, I set the table with the topper and the table runner.

My husband questioned, "Where's the food?"  He thinks, he is so funny, when he says this.  He knows the answer, "I quilt better than I cook!"

In November, I started a scrappy Blue Dresden Plate Block.  I only made the sections.

I found time this week to finish the block. 
I pressed the seams open to reduce a little bulk.

I gave it a good press with spray starch and turned under the raw edges in the center.

I did not worry if some of the seams didn't intersect evenly.  It's scrappy!

I love it! Looks great on the dinning room table --- just like that.

Then I placed it on my quilted tablecloth. Love it against the blue too!

I will use this block in my blue quilt from last year's "My Favorite Block Quilt Along". There is a link in the sidebar to my Blue Quilt Posts. I added two photos as some of the blocks aren't in this one. See the next one too.

I think my Blue Scrappy Dresden Plate Block will be a perfect addition to this quilt. When will I finish this quilt?  Who knows?  I may make a few more blocks!

I do like the Dresden Plate Block on my quilted table cloth.  I definitely need to use a blue background fabric for it.

And last but not least, I finished my 37 Sunflower Star Blocks for a facebook Quilt Block Swap.

I had a year to make them.  I started them last year and worked on the parts of the star points. Each section has three parts and there are 8 sections. That's 24 pieces for the star points. I stitched them free form and then each section had to be squared up. Originally, I was going to have a pieced center block. It had about 40 tiny rectangles.  They were taking too long. I decided to switch it to a print fabric and I love it.   

They are all squared up and ready to mail.

I have been dragging my feet on sharing a tutorial for the block, as it is "free form" block.  I need to figure out how to explain the "how to"!  Because it is free form it can be made any size that you would like.  I made some of the blocks 10 1/2" and some of them 12 1/2" and some of them 12". I have lots of photos of the process. I may just do an all photo tutorial with only a few words.

How does that sound? Any ideas?

That is what I accomplished during my free time this week - before and after work - in small segments of time. Sometimes only 15 minutes and other times an hour or so.

Enjoy your weekend!
Marcia

Sunday's Scraps - Leftovers from my Strings of Sunshine Table Topper

What do you do with your leftover scraps?

If you only have a few, put them in a jar. I save them to remember the quilt I made, as I am usually making it for someone else, like we all do. I like to make a little label and put it in the jar.  That way years from now I will remember the quilt.

I had a lot of scraps and they were some big chunks leftover from the dresden sections and the yellow background.

I started cutting and sewing to see what I could make. Maybe I could make some hot pads to go with the table topper.

As I was stitching and cutting, my battery on my camera went dead.  I could not stop sewing, so I took the next couple photos with my phone. 

I stitched yellow strips around the green rectangular pieces to make them more square.

I had to cut the yellow background chunks into strips so I could use them as borders.

I completed four nice "squarish" blocks. As I laid them out in a row to iron them, I decided that they would make a perfect table runner.

I had room to quilt them with the table topper.

At first, I was just going to quilt it with small meandering and then I got the idea to make little dresden plate designs on the table runner.  

I added my name in two places, just in case I decided to cut it into hot pads or smaller sections.

A view of the back side and it is ready for the binding.

I selected another zig zag type of embroidery stitching for the binding.  

I laid it out on the table, while I still had some natural light.

I placed a few dishes on it for a few more photos.

Most of my dishes are blue or pink. I only have a few with green patterns.  But I know my daughter will have some that will look great on the table runner.

I flipped it over as it would look pretty on the backside too.

I folded it, so you can see the front and the back.

It has the two fabrics on the backside, like the table topper.

I am pleased with my Scrappy table runner made from the scraps from my Strings of Sunshine Table Topper.

What do you do with your leftover scraps?

Enjoy!
Marcia