Metro Twist Finish

 

Finishing up the binding on Metro Twist. Sewing it down from the front.

It's working out pretty well.

And there it is, all done -- Metro Twist.

I like how the binding looks.

I'm really glad I made this quilt, and I'm grateful to Amy for the lessons on how to use the Quick Curve Ruler.

This is another one to check off of my 2025 UFO Challenges list.

Many Bindings Day

 

Today at Sew Day, I spent my time making binding, lots and lots of binding. For the City Sampler and the Bohemian Wife quilts. Both soon to be going to a long-armer for quilting.

And then the binding for Metro Twist.

I only did the first step of sewing the binding on as I didn't have the matching blue thread to final stitch it down. So close to done with this one.  That was a lot of binding for one day's work, phew, glad it's made.

Metro Quilted

 

All the quilting is done on now Metro Twist now and I'm happy with how it looks.

I'm glad that I went with the simpler, sparser design instead of the fussier, intense one.

As of now, the print circular shapes are left un-quilted, I liked them being more forward on the surface of the quilt.

But now that I've had a look at it from the back, I'm considering putting some quilting through those circular "ropes". They seem like they're kind of too baggy because of those spaces being so un-quilted, but I'd also rather be done at this point. Another day up on the design wall for me to decide (and to make the binding). 

Metro Twist Centers

Finishing off the rest of the Metro Twist quilting, I started out with one test section.

And then I did a few more. I like the look of it.

Two rows done, five left to do.

Here's a closeup of how one of the corners looks with all the sections quilted.
 

Metro Curves

Now that I have finished the vertical and horizontal and edges of Metro Twist, it was time for some trimming before doing more quilting. There wasn't a whole lot extra left over on this one, but it all worked out well.

The first line of curves following the edges of the print sections.

Looks pretty good.

Did the whole thing, but does it need more? One the two edges I did additional echo quilting lines to see if the density would work.

I think it works. This is a close up of the extra quilting lines on either edge of the quilt. One more echo quilting line would fit in the shape.

Metro Gridded

The initial quilting is done on Metro Twist. Just a kind of in-the-ditch, vertical and horizontal 

I have an idea for quilting the strange blue background curved diamond shapes. I just have to sketch it out before I try it. If that works out, I may leave the print fabrics as is without quilting within them.

 

Metro Sandwich

Time for some sandwiching. Metro Twist has been up on the design wall waiting for the quilt sandwich treatment for many months (since November last year).

After stretching the fusible batting and doing a bit of ironing on the front, I turned it all over and tacked down the back.

Definitely a good arm workout. I tried to switch off hands so both arms got the benefit.

Flipped back over and re-ironed the front to really make sure it's held together. Now it's ready to be quilted.

Slowly but surely working through my 2025 UFO challenge list. Yes that is a Color Coded Spread Sheet. I figured I was hanging it up above my worktable so it might as well be colorful and pretty. I'm happy that progress has been made on all but the Temperature Quilt, and one out of seven UFO's is now finished (Slopes). It was good to only pick seven projects to help narrow down the universe of things to work on getting finished.

Actually Metro Twist Back

 

The Metro Twist quilt top now has an official backing made. I had worked on this at the last Sew Day and without measuring had made a quilt back that was just shy of fitting. The width was just a little bit too small. I'm still very pleased with how close I came just intuitively sewing pieces of fabric together. And I don't mind the addition of the orange strip along the right hand side. Now to make the binding out of the strange blue from the quilt top background.

Metro Twist Back

 

Yesterday at a very delightful and entertaining Sew Day, I buckled down and sewed this together to use for the back of Metro Twist. 

It turns out it's almost exactly the right size, even though I didn't measure it all as I was making it. Which is actually just a little bit weird! A bit too long, and just a bit not wide enough.

I started with this one curved pieced block left over from making the quilt top and just kept adding fabric scraps and pieces. All of these were the same fabrics used to make the quilt top.

32 Kites

 

Well, all 32 of the "kites" are assembled up to the same point. I'm calling them "kites' because they are vaguely kite-shaped looking, at least they are to me. Before I make any more additions to them, I'm going to put them up on the design wall with the finished Metro Twist top to see if they'd look good at this size flying around in a border. Otherwise, they'll each be enlarged somehow and set into a blue background of all the weird blues I seem to be accumulating lately.

Back to Metro Twist

 I had a lot of fun at a BAMQ Sew Day held yesterday at one of our member's home instead of the usual place we gather. I didn't take any pictures while I was there because I was enjoying talking with people and sewing so much instead. So here's some pictures of what I sewed while I was there up on my design wall at home. I only brought one easily portable project with me that fit in my sewing machine rolling case. Of course that meant I didn't remember to bring my tool bag (d'oh) and thus had to switch up my plans as I had no scissors, rotary cutter or mat. I was originally going to piece together the leftover fabrics from making the Metro Twist quilt top blocks to make up a back for it.

Instead of sewing big pieces and trimming them as I went, I spent my time sewing the rest of the leftovers from trimming the Metro Twist blocks into these kite shapes.

I had done a couple last year so I already knew that they turned into pretty cool shapes. These may or may not end up in their own quilt, or possibly actually go on the back. I could also see putting them into a border somehow too as the Metro Twist top seems a little unfinished without one.

December To-Do

 

Here's how my design wall was looking on December 1st. There's my half-way assembled Temperature Quilt, and then the three pieces of dyed yardage waiting for their second dye baths.

Here's my To-Do list for December:

Sew-a-Long Thingies

Trinket - layer and quilt.

Color Collective - Quilt and bind the Slopes Quilt, 

and make another side for the Clover Pillow with Swerves, start cutting for Colorwash

Temperature Quilt- cut remainder of needed pieces from newly dyed fabric, keep piecing monthly columns.

Pantone Project - keep making blocks and pass them on to friend Jaye.

Secret Lives of Color- it's still oh so very secret, keep reading the book and making the blocks, post some too.

Indigo Way - Begin work on this year's Bonnie Hunter Mystery quilt. Assemble fabrics, make the first blocks.

New Work

Wedge Quilt - finish assembling quilt top, make a backing, quilt, bind, label.

A Hot One - planned quilt celebrating the color of the year, Viva Magenta.

Garment Sewing Academy - finish Cielo top.

Make It Work - assemble a quilt top out of the materials for BAMQG, make backing, layer, quilt, bind.

Make binding and finish the other BAMQG quilt for donation.

Dye Mastery Class - finish final unit on over-dyeing and patterning.

Finish It Already

Make a back for Metro Twist, layer, quilt, bind, label.

Finish quilting Japanese Houses, bind, label.

Y.E.S. Coat - lay out what I've made, make more elements, start assembling.

And finally and most importantly: finish making the gifts before Christmas.

That should keep me busy enough for December!