September 2011 – Quilting my way through life!

I finally have evidence of sewing life here!

Remember my excitement over receiving the beautiful new Amelia fabrics designed by Me & My Sister for Moda?

I have been sewing with them. This is actually the third lap quilt that I’ve made with them, but since the other two are pattern “wanna-bes” (soon to be patterns, but not yet) I will show you this one. It’s already a pattern, remember and it’s available at your local quilt shop or my website.

A(nother) Pretty Package #179

…and it’s not only already a pattern designed and released by me earlier this year, but it has been my best-selling pattern since I introduced it in Salt Lake city in May.

It’s one of my quilt-as-you-go lap quilts that are oh so easy, fast and fun to make. I made this whole quilt yesterday including the cutting, sewing, applique and binding!!! Remember my tutorial here?

Please excuse the lack of beautiful photography. I will have my photographer photograph it soon, but I couldn’t wait to show it to you today!

Besides the new package, and other new Amelia fabric quilts I’ve also made two new “In Season” quilts, one with a birthday theme and the second with a Halloween theme. You’re just going to have to take my word for those two though, I’m not showing them just yet.

Now back to work for me!

Until next time,

Susan

It’s always ~~when~~ because I’m in a hurry that I slow myself down by doing something dumb like running over a pin with my rotary cutter…

I relate it to having to fix a flat tire. Ok not as big a job to replace a rotary cutter’s blade, but it’s still annoying, especially when the whole incident could have been avoided by taking out All of the straight pins before squaring up my table runner. I probably needed to change the blade pretty soon anyway, but I hate it when I do dumb things!

As I cut my binding strips to add to my table runner, it was nice to have my cutter glide smoothly through the double layers of fabric, yes it was due…

What happened next is what made me smile!

I designed 45 degree points at the end of this table runner and decided to guestimate the quantity of binding length that was necessary(I’m in a hurry, remember), and so I judged 3 strips would be ample. Even as I quickly ran the pressed binding around the runner to make sure no seams would land at a corner, I deciphered I had plenty of binding. (I did it quickly so I could get it put on the runner before I ran out!!!) As I rounded the last corner, coming down the home stretch, I started to panic realising I may have cut too little binding and would now need to stop, cut another strip and sew it onto my strip that is already affixed to the runner…

Long story short, and remember this post’s title; …from frustrated to fantastic. Take a look:

Imagine my surprise and merriment as I realized not only was I going to not be short of binding, I didn’t even have to reach for my scissors to trim the binding to the right length. Fate had done it for me!

I’d calculate this as a once in a lifetime occurence. I’ve come close in binding before, but never this close. In my excitement I had to fetch my camera to document it!

Well, you know the next step now. Fetch my binding clips, needle & thread and finish this cute little table runner. I’ll show you the completed project at a later date, it’s a secret for now. You can see from this snippet of a photo though, it has a Christmas theme.

Until next time,

Susan