Yes, Splinter´s Delight done!!!

It´s been a bit quiet from my side these days. What I have been doing? The binding! The weeks before I had yards and yards of binding and no time. So this weekend, after a busy week, I sat down on the couch, and took the time to make my stitches. And, you're the first to know, it's finished!

On the left are the last stitches to be done of the binding. It was a great joy to make them!




And while I am finishing the quilt, I show you how I put on the label, because for me that includes some specific stuff. I don't know whether you read the website Lost Quilt Come Home, but I have learned to enter some specific remarks in my quilts so they can always be identified as mine.

First of all, on the place of the label on the backing of the quilt, I write the name of the quilt, my name and address with a Micron pen with archival ink. After heat setting the ink can't be removed. Also in the binding I wrote my name on the fabric, hidden by the binding. So if somebody is so smart to remove the label, my name is still on the quilt. And if they cut of the side of the label, my name can be found on other places.

Then I made a simple label from a peace of solid ecru, on the right down side on the back of the quilt. As the quilt is a quilt that will be used a lot, and therefore will be washed a lot, a simple label was my preferred choice.

On the label are the name of the quilt, the date of finishing it, my name and a dedication. I just wrote it with the same Micron pen. No fuzz, no nothing.

And here it is, in the corner, stitched in place. If it would have been a quilt for show or any other way of showing off, the label would have been more special, for instance lined or with a special decoration. And I would do the quilting through the label, so the label can't be removed without damaging the quilt. Which makes "borrowing" the quilt less interesting.

Here it is, in all it's glory, on the couch, where it belongs: Splinter's Delight.

And Splinter? Well, he looked at it, and decided to go for his food bowl. Always playing hard to get. But this evening, alas, no picture, he slept on it. I think the quilt has passed the test.

Up for another project!

Have fun quilting!
Annemart

Life is what´s going on when you´re planning other things...

The last week was very full. Although Monday was a day off, the rest of the week was working, working and working. The head of department left and all celebrations had to be arranged. And as I am the department manager (in university that means I am responsible for everything but research, so finance, marketing, communications, personnel and all festivities related to the leaving of a head of department ;-)), I left home at 6.15 am each day and haven't been home before 7.30 pm. Then some dinner and to bed on time to be able to get out at 6.15 am the next morning. So no time to blog, to quilt or to do anything but work. And today it's Friday, I have some large jobs to do and doing that at home is sometimes a better option. So here I sit, working on the budgets for upcoming years. Tonight there will be some quilting done.

Thanks for all your comments on my binding stitch, that, I know now, is called a ladder stitch. Even after years of quilting, I do not know everything. and I wouldn't want to. It's so much fun to learn something new! Thanks again!

And on this Friday there is the final day to enter a giveaway of my book "Decorate Your Shoes" on www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com. Be quick! Within hours the giveaway is closed!

Some news on the quilt show front:
From 22-25 August I will be teaching at the AQS show in Grand Rapids Michigan. Saturday afternoon 25 August I will be teaching a 3-hr class on Patchwork Tootsies on textile (paint in 3 hours is no option). Check out the show and you're welcome to enter!

In October (27 October - 4 November) I will be in Houston on Quilt Market and Quilt Festival. I will be joining my friends from www.paperpieces.com, who are also the owners of www.feetofcreativity.com, the supply site for everything that's used in my book. So if you need paint, great markers and a flexible ruler, go there!

Last show news: next year I will be teaching classes 3 to 3,5 days of classes in Paducah. In July I will hand in my classes. I will be doing some classes on hand quilting and quilt design (all for beginners) and shoe decoration. Now my question to you is: what would you like to learn from me? What do I do what you like to learn? Let me know, I am curious! I might add that to a class.

This weekend I hope to finish the binding. When that's done, you are the first to see the picture!

Have fun quilting!
Annemart

How to: sewing on the binding

The binding. That's my code word for the last days. Inch by inch, yard by yard, I am sewing on yards and yards of binding. Now sewing on the binding might seem dull, boring and nothing special to learn from. Thought so too.

Wrong.

Learned something new. And you might be helped by it too!

Let me explain what I learned.

I use the technique of a bias-cut binding and machine-sew it to the front.. Nothing special. And the links are to great descriptions of how to's, so I won't bother to tell you the same in my own words. These how to's are great.

But then. 

I always did a blind stitch to sew on the binding. Looked o.k., no problem. But one way or another the "bumps" started to irritate me while I was doing the yards on Splinter's Delight.

Did I already tell you I am a perfectionist?

I am a perfectionist. Recovering, but relapsing once in a while. 

The look of the binding was like this.

And to be honest, I couldn't stand it. Those are tiny stitches, and I try to be even in size, but irritation can come from the simplest things, can't it?

So I started experimenting. Have yards to try, so why not! A whipstitch was not a great idea, but then I found a picture of this stitch, that in Dutch is called "jij-en-ik-steek" or "matrassteek", in literally translated English the "you-and-me-stitch" or "mattress stitch". Somebody tell me what the American/English name is!

And when I applied that stitch, the binding looked way, way better to my perfectionist eyes. Look at this!

Those are tiny stitches, which give a very even look, without bumps. So in the category "How to sew on a binding?" I use the "you-and-me stitch" from now on.

Anybody knows the name of the stitch? I can't teach a "you-and-me stitch" to others, for the sake of it, can I!

Thanks. And in the mean time some more yards you-and-me-ing here.

Have fun quilting!

Annemart