My first tutorial .... Wrap around binding

IT'S A WRAP

This is a binding using the fabric from the back side of your quilt, sometimes called self binding. This is the first time I have tried to do this type of binding and I just worked it out as I went along. Hope it might work for you as well.

Wrap around binding                                                                                                 

This is my first try at writing a tutorial. Sew, here I go.

When I finished the quilting on this baby / toddler quilt I thought I would try to do a wraparound binding since I had enough extra fabric on all sides.  And as I looked at it and pondered, I wanted to do a mitered corner as well.  Sew I put on my thinking cap and this is what I came up with.

1.       The first step is to trim your backing to 1 ¾” (4cm) from the finished edge of your quilt. And trim the quilt batting to the quilt edge.  Be careful not to cut the backing.

2.       Next you will press the binding in half towards the quilt top, sew that the raw edges all meet.

3.       Now at the corners, they will overlap with a fair bit of bulk. Not to worry about this at the moment it will be taken care of shortly.

4.        With both sides pressed in now take the corner tip and bring it in towards the center of the quilt. Press this triangle; the pressed line will mark the seam line.

5.        First option. Open the triangle and then cut ¼ “from the fold.

 

6.       Now place the right sides of the binding together and sew on the pressed line (double thickness).  Backstitching at the start of the seam. Turn and make sure that it lies where it should be (you may need to take a little deeper seam to have a nice and neat corner). Trim at the inside corner sew that you have a nice flat point.

first option

second option
 pressed lines showing after it is opened up
 this will be your seam line

stitching line  following the pressing lines
right sides together

trimed and centere clipped ... ready to turn

    5b.    Second option. After pressing the corner open it up all the way with right sides together line up the pressed marks, and sew the V type seam. (Single thickness) . This gives a nice neat seam at the miter. Trim away excess fabric and turn and press. I also took a little v out of the center of the V seam to reduce bulk.

pinned and ready to stitch

7.        Pin binding in place to keep it even all around your quilt. Now you are ready to stitch your binding in place using either a straight stitch or any of the decorative stitches your machine has to offer.  

I was quite pleased with how this turned out and would do it again for baby quilts , place mats and pot holders , smaller projects.

All done  : )

sew there you have it
hats off to the gals that make the tut's for us to enjoy and learn from
takes a bit of time getting it all together
and I am sew learning about this as well.

Sew until next time
stay in stitches
hugs
Annette

cool and cloudy

Well I think we are into fall now we had a very good run on summer this year I do hope that we have a few more great days ahead yet.
I have been doing a little sewing for others once again some alterations and a little quilt sew far, next I will start on a Man's outdoor kitchen covers . this is a extra large BBQ built into a granite bar with a side stove and a large bank of stainless steel drawers, Not sure why folks think that it is just a quick and easy job. Sew it will be interesting to work on and I hope the fittings go well. I hope to have it done with in the week, now that I have picked up the supplies that I think I will need to sew it up.

I have my daughter's quilt top all put together next to piece the backing and find a spot to put it all together. It measures 100" x 106" . I have told her that I hope to have it ready by our thanksgiving ( Oct. 10 here in Canada ). Which she wants to have this year sew when we go to her home she and I will work on the matching roman blind for her bedroom.

shadow box quilt

close up of border fabric

With the cool weather today I will be putting some zucchini soup on . I do enjoy this one and have reduced the calories in it by using 2% milk instead of cream , we thought it was just fine this way. I also just saw another version of it with a cream cheese blended in instead of the cream ...... oh the possibilities. 

Zucchini Bisque Soup

1-2 tsp marg / butter /olive oil
1 large onion
1 1/2 pounds cubed zucchini
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp basil
salt and pepper
1 cup cream or evaporated milk

Boil onion ,butter and zucchini with chicken stock for 15 mins. Let cool slightly. Puree in 2 batches. to the first batch add nutmeg basil and 1/2 the cream. add remaining cream to second batch. blend together. serve hoe or cold. Freezes well

I tend to blend it all at the same time with a hand blender which works just fine for me ... less dishes
I also will add cheddar cheese and steamed broccoli or cauliflower in the microwave.  leftover potatoes and crumbed bacon are good as well.

Its  a little warmer now ... maybe 8, sure a long way from the weekend which was in the low 30's.

this is what is at the sewing machine at the moment, the BBQ cover will be later today. I have a few errands to run,
 sew take care out there
 and if you have a bunch of zucchini around give the soup a try I know we all like it here even hubby.
in stitches and hugs
Annette

Crazy for Candles Pattern info

I have had a few quilters looking in about the candle mat the Fiona from BubzRugz had made and had on her post a week ago ( Great job Fiona I enjoyed your post and all the goodies you had made for the holidays already )
Sew here I go
I had drafted up the pattern for a class that I had taught a couple winters ago and then started to sell it in the shop that I taught in. I like to do up my own patterns sew not to get caught in the copy right with other designers ( the shop I taught in at the time did not like to get in many patterns and wanted me yo just make copies of other designers ,as this is what her guild had done. She was a small shop and did not stay open very long )
The patterns went over very well and the students loved making the mats for themselves and gifts they are easier than they look . As I tell my students " easy as making rice krispie cake...if I tell them puff wheat cake then they know that it is a little harder"( my puff wheat cake always seamed to fall apart into cocoa puffs until I started to add a few marshmallows to the syrup).

Crazy for candles ...fall

Sew now back to the patterns...... I do have them for sale  @  $10.00 Canadian plus shipping .
until October 31 I will pay the shipping If anyone is interested in the pattern.
I am hoping to make a link on my blog to my patterns but have not gotten there yet.I think I will have to have one of my kids help me with that

crazy for candles .... winter

And with the pattern I do allow what I call oops room and if you do not need it you could make one of these

A table mat / runner
I have made a few different items out of the  extra oops pieces from long runners to small place mats. It is fun to play with  the bits left over to see what you can create.

Sew do drop me a line if you are at all interested, and we'll see what we can do to get the patterns out to you. I am also working on another runner idea and will share that one soon.

 At the moment here in Canada in the prairies it has been a beautiful summer we are still having temps in the 30's c they say that they should last a few more days before it becomes seasonal here.  The farmers  in our area are having a great harvest with out a frost. The farmers in the south of the province were not so lucky as it was to wet to get the crops in from all the flooding.

I will close with a pic of my front step with my morning glories.... they are having a good year as well.


Sew until next time stay in stitches
hugs Annette

Fall is in the air

quilting at the campsite
it's finished

Well it is getting to that time of year...... fall I am not ready for it I have been enjoying summer alot this year.

Last week was very much summer except for one tree.... in our campsite of course .... it has turned yellow and was dropping it's leaves.

just a touch of fall

the chokecherry tree

There were chokecherries to pick there as well sew of courxe I picked enough for a couple more batches of syurp, 32 pints . I think that should be enough for this year.

I did manage to work on a quilt the one day that I was alone at the camper as well as little reading .

set up on the picnic table with my feather weight

some good reading and a few new projects to try

 I got a few walks in and a few days on the beach for a swim and just some good old relaxing  . I even had a cook on some days.

Sew now it is off to work I go.

Take care out there

Stay in stitches

Annette

Challenge 2012 for the Stitches Conference

Stitches Conference Challenge 2012

Haus of stitches featured fabric for the stitches conference challenge. The fabric comes in both blue and copper. One must have taken a class in one of the 10 years that it has been on. Then you purchase 1 meter of the challenge fabric and create anything you would like with it. It can be wall hangings tote bags large or small quilts runners etc. just as long as they can tell that the fabric is in the finished item. They will be judged at the next conference in 2012. Sew I have picked up the fabric shown and now I have to play around with a few ideas of what I would like to sew up with it. I have also picked up a couple extra pieces that are from the same line. Sew as I get started I will give you a few sneak peeks of what I am up to .

this is the challenge fabric with a center medallion the fabric is by Peggy Toole for Robert Kaufman called Jewels of India

this is some of the fabric line for Jewels of India

On Holidays

I have been on a few days off and they sure seam to be busy. We took in the induction ceremonies at the baseball hall of fame in Battleford.  We picked chokecherries on Sunday and then made jelly and syrup on Monday. We had a visit with my brother and his wife on our way back home. Then off to the city 2 days in a row with dentist appointments, and now we are at the camp grounds, I will be home Thursday and hope to get this posted and maybe grab something to work on in my down time.

 Sew far I am only working on a pair of socks for my mom. My daughter's quilt is on hold the fabric should be here in the next day or sew. I may bring it out here to work on a little, not sure if it stays windy we will not take the boat out to go fishing.

 I did get the embroidered badges made for a friend. They are just for fun. They have frogs on them this year and is the third level of life saving, sew we think. Her daughter is a life guard at the local pool in the summer. Her first year she was saving gophers, last year it was salamanders and this year she has been saving frogs and pumping the chlorine water out of their tummies. I should have been taking pictures of these sew that I would remember what I have done from year to year with them. And once again I have dropped them off and there is no picture…….sorry. It is really cute my friend makes up a certificate and presents them to her daughter. We have talked and think that they would look good in a denim quilt. Sew now we have to wait until next year to see what she will be saving for her level four badge.

Sew I did make it home of a short stop to pick up a few things out of the garden and now we will be heading back to the campground ( about 40 mins away).
stay in stitches
hugs Annette

off to Humboldt

The class I was to teach is on hold for now. Not enough students in the summer time, is our guess ,sew we will try the tote class again at a later date.
Sew now I have a free day, and a friend and  I will go for a drive to Humboldt and visit the shop to get a  few goodies and have a visit as well as we all are busy it seams in the summertime.
I may find some fabric to finish the baby quilt, might pick up the challenge fabric for the stitches conference, I will have to check and see if I need any thing more for the bras I want to sew up, and who knows what else we will find there. Next we will go to Nutter's .. the bulk/health food store .... one of the places I get some of the foods I can cook with.... gluten free...
It looks pretty good out there not too much rain with the storm   more like a thunder shower I will be watering later in the day.
With the start of a new week one can make new lists for items to get done......I still have not gotten those Christmas stockings built I just have to have them ready for the babes name as he or she is not here until Christmas time, I just want to be ready.And I should get some of my UFOs done sew that i can move them to the finished list.Sew lets just see what I get sewn this  week. I sure helps to let you know what I have been doing, sew thank you for letting me share. 
Later this week I will draw for one of my Summer daze tote patterns, just leave me a comment and tell me what fabrics you might make it out of, and be a follower. It uses 2 or 3 contrasting fabrics and one accent fabric.

left has 3 colors right has 2 colors ,plus accent flap

I will make the draw Thursday.

staying in stitches

hugs

Annette

the weekend of fish flies

Boy Oh Boy was this the weekend of fish flies..   little flying bugs , bigger than mosquitoes , but they do not bit. they do how ever leave little green specks on everything ...campers chairs people . They were sew crazy that you could hear them all night long and only got a little quieter when the sun started to come up.You did not walk in the shad or thought the trees or you would get a mouth full of these little pests.I know our next weekend out will be spent washing things down to get there poop off of the camper and anything we had out side.
We did find on place that was not to bad with them ... out on the water

Saturday we went tubing and took our friends out ,  they came to Canada a few years back. This was the first summer that they had the chance to go tubing. they enjoyed it and will do it again .
we had a great time with them and went boating after supper .
Sunday hubby and I went out to try our hand a t fishing. We fell that there just are not any fish in that lake ... at least not for us.But then we talked to our neighbour out on the water and he gave us a hook ( a special one he said and hard to find here in Canada )to try and told us where to try as he has mapped out the areas that have worked for him. It was crazy in less than 5 minutes I had a fish on the hook and landed in the boat ... about a three pound pickerel

August 14/11 finally my fist fish on Long Lake...And I though it must have been weeds again

well that storm is still making noise out there, I forgot that I could unplug and just use battery power on the lap top sew I was still able to get this post in .
Sew now I will get off the system and curl up with a novel for a little bit before I head off to bed
Good night all
in stitches
hugs
Annette