Spring Speaking to Summer

 

Finally, the binding is completely attached, the sleeve is added, and Spring Speaking to Summer is dropped off for display in the BAMQ group challenge exhibit at the San Mateo County Fair.

I think the binding turned out pretty good on the display side. Not perfect on the back, but it's a table runner so I don't really care too much.

It's a weird one for sure!

It turned out so curvy, it almost has a waist. 

The bottom section (the "Summer") is my favorite part of the whole thing. Guess I like Summer?

Seasonal Binding

 

Welp, the binding I posted about for my BAMQ challenge quilt, Spring Talking to Summer, had to be removed. I didn't remember to give myself extra folds to make it around those big curves when I turned the binding around and over the quilt edge. Yes, it was a lot of "un-sewing" but it will be worth it. I pinned the whole thing folded bits and all.

And I even went to the extreme measure of first basting it to really make sure it'd work and look good.  I just didn't want to have to un-sew the whole ding dang thing again. So....now that the binding is stitched on for real, tis finally time for the hand sewing and finishing. Ack!

Binding season

It’s Binding season around here lately. Guess that’s good because I’m maybe finishing some things? I found a great color of bias tape to use for the binding of the BAMQ challenge quilt.

I had to check the color all along the length of this piece.

It’s pretty close to the darkest color of the quilt. That’s how I choose binding colors usually (but not always).

I had to trim the excess backing fabric away first.in some cases, I’d do a satin stitch or couched ribbon sort of binding.

 But this going to be a table topper which means it needs a more solid and reliably durable finish that will hold up to lots of washing. Now for some hand stitching, oh joy.🤩 

Spring to Summer Stitching

 

All finished, here's all the thread colors that I used in quilting the challenge quilt for BAMQ. They look like Easter egg colors, don't they? Makes sense, as the quilt is titled: "Spring Speaking to Summer."

Some close-ups

These are very fun fabrics to quilt.

The bottom or summer part of the quilt.

And that's the whole thing done. Now to figure out what I'm doing for the edges. Binding or not? We shall see. I may try doing an envelope or facings instead.

Quilting the Spring

 

Today I got most of the spring section of my challenge piece quilted.

I used a lot of thread colors, but started out with a light grey/purple for the top flower section.

Then it was pink and purples for a bit.

Eventually some green too.

Then onto to a light blue.

Just about done.

I'll be switching over to orange for tomorrow to finish the Summer section.

Curvy Challenge

 

I switched over from mystery quilt piecing to work on quilting my challenge piece,"Spring Speaking to Summer" that I started at the retreat. The first thing I did was to put some interfacing on the back of the rectangle of yellow fabric with words because it was too see-through. I didn't like how the fabrics behind were showing through, and now that's not a problem. I used the same iron-on interfacing as we were working with in the Jane Sassaman class as it was handy and I knew it would work.

The second step was zig-zag stitching around each raw edge with light grey thread to nail down all the elements. I may go back over the edges with other colors.

I had brought all of these fabrics with me to the retreat where I finished the backing for the Bohemian Wife quilt. 

So it's a mixture of all Kaffe Fasset fabrics and L's Modern Basics from Lecien. 

To my eye, they go together very very well. 

Here's how it looks after all the edges are zig-zagged down including the outside edge. I haven't trimmed the backing away yet as I want it there for stability while I do all the free motion stitching. The whole thing is quite long and skinny, with no square corners. This will end up being a table runner at some point for sure. The BAMQ challenge for our group exhibit "It's Hip Not to be Square" at the San Mateo County Fair is to make something with no square corners. Now to finish it and get it entered.

Nearly There

Now it's starting to look like I wanted, so I'm almost done with the quilting.

Will I get it done in time, who knows?

I really do like how it looks though.

So much texture!

More Color Choices

 

Now that the Running Out of Rain Cloud quilt had an allover horizontal pattern of hot pink lines quilted in, I needed more and different colors. I chose a thread that went with the other four colors in the quilt.

I did the first corner triangle matching the diagonal. I think it looks pretty good with the mustard gold thread just in the triangle. And what the heck is that spot? I hope I can get it out before I photograph this quilt!

Gives a really nice texture.

I think that t's a pretty color combination too.

Here's how it looks with all four corner triangles quilted on the diagonals. That was the easy part now for more decisions, like what to do with the corresponding light blue triangles. Also on the diagonal (with the light blue thread or the mustard gold?), or go for vertical lines instead. We shall soon see.

Raincloud Quilting

After all that block making it was time to switch over my sewing set-up to the walking foot for some quilting. Specifically the Ruby+Bee challenge quilt, Running Out Of Raincloud, that's due by the end of October. I haven't worked on this quilt for an entire month. I think I'd given up finishing it because I'd thought it was due at the end of September.  Anyways, back to it and hopefully getting it completed by the end of the month.

I started out using this hot pink rayon thread in horizontal lines all over the whole quilt. The lines are not really matchstick close...yet. 

I think I may either go back in-between these lines with some other colors from the quilt--mustard, red, blue. 

Or those other colors might be done in vertical lines or 45° parallel lines. Depends on how it looks when I finish the first step.

Ready To Quilt

Running Out of Rain Cloud is all ready to quilt.

I used this fun print for the backing (not at all pieced for once!) because it actually kind of goes with the solid colors used. I used fusible Hobbs 80/20 batting as per usual for non-bed-sized quilts. Now to figure out how to quilt this thing. All I know is I'm starting out with hot pink thread...
 

Still Assembling.

Time to put the parts together of Running Out of Rain Cloud on a day where the sky outside is just about this grey-blue color.

Pretty good at the match-ups.

Looks like the upper two sections are going to line up well.

Almost there, but that last section is much too big. So it's time to un-sew, re-measure or re-make. One of the half rectangles was supposed to be smaller than the other but they're the same size for some reason. I want to get this top done so I can start in getting the quilting done.

Getting Closer

 Running Out of Rain Cloud assembly is continuing.

All the "small" piecing is done now and I'm re-measuring the bigger blocks before I sew them together.

The assembly of the smaller parts into chunks, lining up the connections that are the most important to get right.

Yes, that's good.