Table Scraps Challenge -- Finished

I'm tickled to have my July table runner challenge done.  Here's the front.

If you are participating in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge you know that July was a second chance at blue.  I'm pretty sure one month was suppose to be lighter blues and the other was darker.  Um... both of mine are dark blue.  Check out my previous blue table "runner" here. I started out making that one as a table runner and ended up with a wall hanging for our beach house. 

My goal this month was to use some string piecing.  Needless to say I didn't make much of a dent in any of my scraps.  But I do like the finished project. 

After the top was done I wanted to find a blue for the back.  Except, blues are a problem area for me.  I don't really have a whole lot of blues I like or the ones I like I really didn't want to cut into.  Visualize riffling through a stack of fabric or a box of fat quarters.  And, now visualize my glee when I found the perfect fabric for the backing. Only one problem.  The fabric had never been washed and I worried about bleeding. And I was right. 

I have no idea how many times I rinsed the fabric -- maybe 10 or so.  But eventually the water ran clear.  I ran it through the drier and continued onto finishing the runner.  

This fabric is a batik I purchased from one of our trips to the Caribbean.  I'm pretty sure I purchased this fabric in the Bahamas probably 20 years ago.  I had about just enough to use it as the backing of this table runner. I trimmed off some of the border on the short edges so it would fit.

My quilting was done from the front but really doesn't ruin the lobsters and turtles. 

Remember the discussion above -- that I don't have a great selection of blues?  I could find nothing to use for a binding. So I trimmed the piece so that there was an even amount of fabric in the front and back.  Then I flipped the front fabric up and trimmed a half inch off the back and batting. 

Next I ironed a 1/4" seam around the top and folded it over the backing. It was totally finished after the hand stitching.  Weird, I know.  But that's what I did.  I doubt it is all that obvious.  Bonus -- I can use both sides of the runner. 

Here's a different view. (These railings lead to the basement where my studio is.)  You can enlarge these photos.  I did outline quilting around the stars.  And lines on the strings.  The center string section I used a wavy line (actually one of the stitches on my Bernina.) 

I'm happy to have a navy blue runner to use since my other one is going to be hanging on the wall at the beach house once we visit again! 

Friday is a busy time for linky parties.  I'm linking up with a lot of them. Quilt Fabrication, Needle and Thread Thursday, Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop?, Finished or Not Friday, Beauties Pageant, Table Scraps Linky Party, and Scrap Happy Saturday. Phew!  That's a lot of linky parties.  But I love to see what everyone is working on. Ok, not everyone but a lot of people participate so I do see a lot of projects! I hope you spend some time surfing too. 

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie 
 

A Finish -- A Long Time Coming

 First the personal good news! 

Wow!  Mary Washington Hospital Center was so very well organized!  I was really early for my appointment because I thought it was an hour earlier than it was.  No problem. They moved me in from car check in to being texted to come on in.  Yes there was a small line but it moved so quickly.  Next thing I know I was chatting pleasantly with the gal getting ready to give me the shot.  No, she didn't know how many shots she had given but I sensed it was a whole bunch. What? You're done already?  I don't think I even felt it go in -- amazing.  Then on to set my follow up appointment which is 4 weeks away.  I was done before my actual appointment time.  

Backing up a bit  -- it started with the Rappahannock Area Health District being on top of their game.  I filled out an on line survey saying I wanted to get a vaccine several weeks ago. On 1/22 I received an acknowledgement and was told to expect a text when I could sign up for an appointment.  The email to sign up came in Wednesday morning. It probably sat in my in box for 15 minutes but once I saw it I immediately scheduled my appointment -- for the very next day!  Pat got his announcement within the hour but I had left for a hair cut so he didn't know exactly when my appt was so  he goes first thing tomorrow morning.  We were euphoric!  Kudos to the state of Virginia and RAHD for keeping us well informed and Mary Washington Hospital for being so organized.  

So on to my quilty news.  Today I share a great quilt.  I really love it but man, it has been very problematic.  First off an overall picture of the quilt.  I started this sometime in the late 1990s or possibly early 2002 or so.  I went to a mystery retreat in Lancaster, PA with several gals from my quilt guild.  We had a great time. I didn't get the quilt finished there so it got shunted aside.  Every once and a while it would come out and I'd get some of it done.  I can't say when I got the top completely together.  I decided to hand quilt it as it was before I had my long arm.  I batted it up and basted it and added some pin basting too.  I drug this thing around for YEARS! I'd mark a bit and hoop it up and stitch until my fingers were sore and I was bored.  

Sometime in 2019 I finished the inside of the quilt and started in on the borders.  I don't know why I chose a braid that had 8 rows in it. (Yes, equivalent to going around the border 8 times.)  Near the end of last year I decided to get serious and get this thing done!  So mid January all the quilting was done.  It was time to bind it.  In my infinite wisdom I did put some of the backing fabric in the bag I toted around for years.  It had a note that said 6/2004.  I suspect that was when I started the hand quilting. I stitched the first side of the binding by machine and finished with hand stitching.  DONE!  Since I had been dragging it around so long I knew it had to be washed.  I think I've already mentioned that the backing fabric bled when some water for my iron splashed on it.  But, let's move to a picture or two before I finish this tale. 

Hum, the bushes have gotten bigger since I last took quilt pictures on the rail.

A close up with the quilting, border and the beautiful backing.

Another close up of the quilting.

And, so it's time to continue my tale. Since I knew it was going to bleed I loaded the quilt in the washer with bunches of Color Catchers.  I mean A LOT.  Most were new, a few were slightly used and were very pale blue.  Shock number #1. 

YIKES! Every single one came out a very deep red. Well, except that one with the fold marks.  Some how it had gotten folded and the color didn't penetrate the entire color catcher. (What does it say about my darn washer that it didn't agitate enough to open the darn catcher? Yes, it's a blasted front loader.) 

Here's what the pathetic quilt looked like when I took it out of the washer the first time. 

So, this is may be after the 2nd wash.  I wasn't thinking particularly well the day I washed this as I didn't put a towel or something else in to balance it in the washer.  It was dripping wet when done. I had to wring the thing out to get it so it wasn't dripping all over the place before it went in the dryer. Sigh.

And, Color Catchers #2.  Seven new ones. So why the one in the middle didn't turn pink is a mystery. 

It dried fine but it no longer looks the same. 

So, it isn't horrible but it definitely turned some parts of the quilt pink.The green isn't as vibrant either.  The squares of now pink, were a light cream with little gold specks in them.  I loved it.  But, I still like this.  It just isn't what it was.  Should I have washed the backing fabric before I used it? You bet!  I have been washing every piece of fabric (except precuts) for years.  Truth be told I don't know when I became so fanatical about pre washing everything. Probably when another red fabric bled like crazy.  Maybe that happened after I had already started quilting this one.  It will still look beautiful during Christmas and will evoke memories of the fun my friends and I had at the mystery retreat. But, boo for the bleeding red! Let this be a lesson to everyone who loves to use a strong red!  On the other hand, I'm so glad I dropped water on it and learned it was going to bleed.  I might have put a lot less Color Catchers in and had an even pinker quilt. And, no I don't blame the Color Catchers.  They did the best job they could have -- I should have put the whole box in! 

I'm happy to link up with Midweek Makers, Needle and Thread Thursday, Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop?,  Finished or Not Friday, and Beauties Pageant. Ok, I'm way ahead of where I usually am for a second posting of the week. I'll be back tomorrow to link to the last two parties. You know the drill -- go visit some of these linky parties... you will enjoy seeing and reading about what's going on in quilting rooms across the country! 

This has been a great week.  I'm one seam away from finishing the commissioned T Shirt quilt top.  I've been shot. And, I shared a quilt that was a long time in the making. It's all good.  Hope you are having an excellent week too.  I've got a busy day tomorrow so I should be finishing this up and heading to bed!  

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie 

Monday Meandering 1 - 25 - 2021

Here we are with only 1 week left in January.  It hasn't been a whole lot better than 2020 but I "think" we may be making progress.  I have been able to sign up for my Covid vaccine but it doesn't sound like it will happen anytime soon.  I was just happy to get an email acknowledging that I'd signed up.  For the time being we'll stay home most of the time.  Snow may be in our forecast.  We haven't had much snow in the greater DC area for years ... or at least an hour south where we live. I will wait to see it before I believe it. 

First up Goals! 

1/18/2021

1. Work on T Shirt Quilt: embroidery, star blocks ✔️I'm almost done with the star blocks, I did a sample embroidery of the name
2. Continue hand quilting on Christmas Quilt✔️ It's done! 
3. Begin cutting Ohio Stars R, W, B quilt ✔️Several blocks cut out; 1 sewn

I was tickled to get a lot done on my goals this week.  But I did get involved with a squirrel project.  Hopefully it will be shown by the end of the week.  (It's pink so all you RSC people might have a good guess about it.) 

Maybe the best thing I did this past week is finish the handquilting on the Christmas quilt.  My plan is to put the binding on this week.  I had a note on the binding fabric that listed June 2004.  I'm thinking that is when I finished the top.  Unfortunately, I had a surprise while I ironed some of the fabric I trimmed off the backing.  It BLED!  Yikes, it is red and gold -- the red was bleeding like crazy where a bit of water got on it.  I did a test to make sure and, yep, it's a bleeder.  I guess I started washing my fabric on a regular basis sometime after 2004.  After 16 years of dragging the quilt around to work on it and all the marking it definitely needs to be washed.  I will throw in 4 or 5 Color Catchers and hopefully the excess color won't adhere to the cream background.  I'll keep you posted. 

                                    

The red on the far right is the backing fabric.   

So what's up for this week? 

1/25/2021 

1. Work on T-shirt quilt: borders, blocks, embroidery
2. Embroider sweatshirt
3. Bind Christmas quilt
4. Quilt and bind one or more of my quilts 

I don't have much to show today so I thought I'd show the borders added to Cheese and Crackers.  By the way, that's the name of the pattern from Atkinson Designs, I haven't come up with my own title.  I really like this pattern and may use it again sometime.  You can see a picture before the borders here.  They really make a difference. 

That's it for today.  I hope you join me at the following linky parties: Oh Scrap, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, and To Do Tuesday.  There's always new things to discover on quilters' blogs. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

I'm On a Roll Here

Wow, two posts in two days. Will wonders never cease. Here are a few excuses for my neglect of my blog buddies:

• I'm addicted to playing Bejeweled Blitz

• My glasses were broken and I couldn't see much up close when I attempted to wear multi focal contact lenses

• We went to Cleveland

• I read two big books

• The battery on my laptop is failing. Everytime I used the laptop without being plugged in, it would turn itself off with no notice. (new battery ordered, wrong battery. Another new battery on order.... so I'll be able to be free again soon.)

Actually all of that happened in the last week or so. I have given up trying to make the multifocal lenses work for close up, mid distance and long distance.

I am swearing off Bejeweled Blitz for a day or so.

I finished The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown and Echo in the Bone by Diane Gabaldon.

I have been doing a little quilting and here's proof. This is a little quilt that I made for the guild's raffle next Sunday. The little sashing blocks are 1" finished .... or at least I think they were. I used my thirties fabrics that I've got stashed away to make a Terry Atkinson design. I think it is cheese and crackers but it is upstairs and I'm not going up there to find out! Someday I will make the quilt. And, I think I have plenty of these fabrics left to do so. (darn, now that I think about it I have fabric pulled for another quilt Terry designed. )

I've been having a bit of trouble with old fabrics. WHY did this have to bleed all over my new ironing board cover? And, yesterday the stuff from the cover bled onto a piece of muslin I was ironing. Honestly.

And the next big question? WHY do I think I need to rescue this piece of fabric? I'm going to throw that baby away as soon as I hit the studio today. WHAT was I thinking -- I don't really need the fabric. I guess I'll be buying a new piece of fabric to cover the board again. Hum, note to self... put another piece of batting over it also. Try to staple it tighter next time round.

Time to get breakfast. And then up to the studio. I'm coming close to a finish on a top so need to figure out a backing for it. I'm afraid it will be a pieced back as I just don't buy fabric in 3+ yard pieces. Happy Quilting All!