standstill

Once again I have come to a screeching halt for sewing, quilting, piecing, whatever but that is not to say that it has not been on my mind.   Just the execution has stopped, LOL.

I can show you what I was piddling with the other day. I finally laid hands on the misplaced pieces of binding corners that one of the Belles had lent to me but I had not had time to explore yet. I thought I would make my OWN set so I could return hers plus try out the technique. This method eliminates the need to slip stitch the miter closed---turn it over and it is already mitered by machine and supposedly a nicer finish. I can bind fairly well but my corners always look a little sloppy to me so why not try it, was my thought.

First off let me say that this idea has probably been around since at least 1993. Linda Goodman Emery designed a mini-miter thing called "Corner Mark-It" way back when as it says so in the insert of the one I bought and stuck in my "carry to sewing events" basket. Never used it, never tried the technique. Must have considered it at some point or why buy the tool?  I had some problems mostly because I cut my strips 2 1/4 and not 2 or 2 1/2 inch like the ruler suggests but had hoped I could make some adjustments.

Also Rosa's examples some doing a variation of a mitered corner that I am used to doing but you don't start the seam at the folded edge as you normally do. I took some pictures that might explain it better than my words.

Goodman Emery and Deborah Manlove both use straight strips for binding---folded back out the way to add into the quilt sides and then a pointy seam thing. Manlove uses her own tool called "The binding Thingy" but it looks very similar to the Corner Mark-it but narrower and few more lines on it but it looks similar.  Yep, I bought another tool only to find it I had something very much like it.  And it doesn't work any better than the other one because my strips are a tad too narrow.   Manlove has a video on you tube if you want to check it out---maybe it will work better for you but as for me, till the cut binding is used up it is the old way for me!  I need more practice, LOL.

Here I am trying to make my set like Rosa's------up to that point business as usual but I hope you can see that the stitching did not start where it normally does.

Below shows the angle marked with the tool.   My problem was the extra wide seams on the machine to attach it in her example set and the wider binding to accommodate it.

But it did work if you look at the example below----I got mine to work but poked a hole in it trying to get the corner to lay down right. I also may have trimmed it incorrectly.

Then I switched over to doing it the Tangled Threads "Binding Thing" way.  I think I get it.

It did work but I see a few stray threads on the front and the binding folds over a bit more than it should.  She suggests adding a bit of batting to fill the corner and mine would need it especially since I probably trimmed away more than I should  have.

Again, I need practice and properly cut width strips before I try it again.  Operator error, LOL not the fault of the designer at this point.

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I had switched out machines after Bama Belles met last week thinking I would start quilting.  As I said that did not happen and may not happen today either.   I did not feel well on Thursday and spent most of the day down in bed.  Friday was feeling better but it still didn't happen.  I was uploading music to I-tunes so I could donate the CDs and DVDs----less is more after all.   Saturday Friendship Quilters guild in Pell City.  Yesterday, grocery errands and typing up minutes for both the guild meeting and the executive board meeting plus dealing with some of my own home matters paperwork.  I have the usual Monday errands to run---post office, bank and another run to Walmart for my own purchases plus get my hair trimmed in an hour across the lane, two meals to fix and husband who needs HIS hair cut too.  Always something!   I promise I will be back, Eric the Red,  just not today. (I quilt with my Viking).  I may try to cut out the "Fight Like a Quilter" heart block I need to have turned in to a quilt shop in Maine by mid June though.  Sewing it would be "gravy" on a day like today.

Also under consideration---------
Shelia has issued a paint chip challenge for Friendship Quilters with a small project of any type in time for the Christmas meeting.  Here is the one I pulled---she had them fan folded like an upside down deck of cards and we drew one.   Mine ranges from "Clear Spearmint Frost through Fine Pesto and ends with Raw Winter Spinach"   Who thinks up these wacky names???  But suffice it to say, it is a nice shade of green, fairly clear toned and not overly grayed to the sage end of things.  I think the Moda Marbles card matches at least three of them fairly closely but I need to take it out in the sunlight, if that ever comes around again, to be sure.  We are to use two colors minimum of the 7 on the card.  So far my existing stash does not show any matches.  Maybe I should mail one of these paint chip things to my mom and see how her stash matches up?  I won't need much!!

 Participation is voluntary but it might be fun especially since the field is so wide open as to what to make.  It could be anything from a mug rug, purse or wall hanging and any points in between.  If I am really clever I could kill two birds with one stone too---combine challenges. Or come to think of it,  these tones may work in the August button up when I need to come up with greens and pinks for summer watermelons.      Hey, I am liking that idea!!!    HMMMMMM  Image is from the Joined at the Hip button up website and this is BU#8 for the month of August.

I also like the Monica Solorio-Snow from Happy Zombie blog's "Bubble Runner" shown in the October 2011 American Patchwork and Quilting magazine----fun brights that might work for this idea.  Picture of it seen HERE.  Inspired by that cake plate shown next to it, says in the article.  HMMMM again.

I can keep up the surfing all day.  Googling "paint chip challenge" and see what pops up might be dangerous when I have other stuff to do.  Got go get this day rolling starting with getting dressed and making my bed!

Hope you have a good day and thx for stopping by---------