WIP: Binding, Backing, Batting

My work in progress is cleaning out my closet of unfinished projects. I sewed the binding on the Doll quilt, but still need to add my initials and year 2013 to the binding. The basket weave binding and the paisley border were purchased in different places at different times yet they seem to really go together. Since the doll blocks were contributed by several members of a quilt guild I belonged to many years ago I still am puzzling over what to do for a label. I have the  ladies' signatures on the wrong side of separate swatches of fabric.  Maybe I should crazy patch or paper piece them together and sew the collage of signatures on the back? Maybe instead I will make a pillow using the same backing fabric as the doll quilt.  I am liking that approach. It means starting a new project but it also means that I will be able to declare the Doll quilt finished! 

I also added strips to widen the backing fabric for my Color Play of the Day quilt. I originally rejected the heart batik shown below for a backing because I did not have enough and would have to seam it.  It would have bugged me if the print at the seams did not match - yes, even though the seams would be on the back. On closer study I realized I was only shy a few inches on the width and with a couple of strips on each side it would look fine.  I decided to make those extra width strips out of a completely different fabric so seam matching would become a non-issue. I picked up the purple color in the batik with a mottled solid that adds a bit of contrast but still blends. I made the binding out of the same mottled fabric so I am content it will look fine.

The weather has been rainy here so I do not have a photo of the assembled top that shows the colors off to best advantage but I will post one soon.  I inserted an old picture of some of the blocks just to spark the memories of those readers who have been following my blog posts. I have decided to send this quilt out to be long arm quilted.  It is 50" x 60" and I want to still build up my FMQ skills on smaller quilts.

It was a decisive week. I also cut the backing for my quilt from the Earth, Wind, and Fire pattern and made its binding. I chose to use the extra wide backing fabric that I had initially rejected as having too much brown. When I looked at it again, it reminded me more of frost patterns on a window pane. Ice seems to fit the earth/wind/fire theme – sort of. I compared the fabric to the pale strips in the quilt and reconsidered it as a backing since it seemed to pick up those colors very well. I am considering naming my version of the quilt Sunny Spring Frost. Those swirly rose centers look like suns with rays extending outward. The pale strips are kind of frosty, like just before the morning's sunny rays hit your window pane, and the jewel tone strips are so spring like in color. It too is in line to be long arm quilted. It measures 72" x 72" and too big for me to want to FMQ it.

I think in an earlier post I said that this backing fabric reminded me of an oil slick on a puddle in the road. Yuk! I must have been in a bummer of a mood that day. I like it now and my opinion has done a real about face. I think it quite dainty and delicate. In a related anecdote... a friend of mine thought that White Shoulders was such an elegant name for a woman's fragrance.  She pictured someone with lovely skin in a luxurious satin strapless evening gown. I said White Shoulders made me think of dandruff.  I guess these are both examples of how marketing can put a positive or negative spin on something.

I stuffed seven Christmas ornaments and whip stitch closed their openings. They had been hanging around goodness knows how long.  I had about a quarter of a bag of polyester stuffing but that was not quite enough.  I supplemented by shredding pieces of polyester batting I had leftover from my earliest quilts.  I was so glad to finally use up the stuffing and batting and to finishing the ornaments. I like the interplay of elves and mice.  Aren't they cute?

A new project I started, and completed, this week were six burp cloths for a little baby boy due in April to friend of my son and daughter-in-law.  These sew up so quickly and I love putting together the fabric combinations.  One side is a feature print and the other has a contrasting or coordinating center section that is triple thick to absorb all those milk bubbles and spit ups or other unmentionables. Here are the front and back of three pairs of burp cloths. The mom-to-be is a vet so I thought this appropriate.

The nursery has a jungle theme so I liked this print.

And what little boy does not like dinosaurs- especially ones that play with cars. Roar!

That's it for this week. Here are my stats.

Completed projects:  

1. Six burp cloths
2. Seven Christmas stuffed ornaments

Ongoing projects:  

1. Doll quilt - awaiting label and intitialing
2. Color Play of the Day - awaiting long arm quilting
3. Sunny Spring Frost - awaiting long arm quilting
4. Halloween pumpkin wall hanging - awaiting FMQ
5. Grinch quilt - on design wall for assembly and creative sashing solution
6. Scarecrow - on this list as a filler task
7. Baby bunny book - barely started at last WIP

New projects:  

1. Burp cloths

Stats since last WIP post 2/06/13:

     Completed  projects - 13  (I count generously)

     New projects - 6 

     Currently in progress - 7

Now I am off to check out what the rest of you have been up to at: