Getting ready and getting finished

Since we are getting ready for the grandkids visit it was time to finish that clean up project I started a few weeks ago in my sewing room. My granddaughter and I have been able to do a little sewing together when she visits and I am hoping we will be able to do so this time, too.

While I was neatening up I realized that I could fit some of the fat quarters I had separarated from my stash into these cute little boxes. We found them thrifting a few weeks ago. I had intended them to be part of my dining room patriotic display but somehow they just didn't seem to fit there. They are perfect for this purpose. And just the right size for my blues. I did manage to finish a couple of things while I was up there. See the little round mat on the second shelf under the bear chair? I had made the top and cut the backing months ago. Found them in a stack and thought the best thing to do was finish it and put it where it belongs.

Here is a close up view. After I had sewn it together and cut it out I realized I should have put the dark parts of the log cabins in the center. Oh, well.

I tried a new technique for turning it and I think it worked well. I sewed all the way around and then understitched it like you do when making a collar. Next I pinked it all around to help it lie flat. Then I slashed the back, ironed it carefully and put a tiny piece of fusible webbing under the slash. I really like how round it is. Whenever I leave an opening for turning I can't get it a nice finished edge like this. I think I will use this technique again and again.

Also I did get the binding finished on the quilt I mentioned last post. Here it is. I made this totally from scraps. Lot's of blue from the old days. Some of these fabrics date back to the '70's. I like how it came out. Now I just have to figure out where to put it since I use so little blue these days.

I also did a little rearranging. This bench in our entry still had kind of a fall or winter look. Since that's my favourite look and I really like this quilt it stays like this most of the time. But I got to thinking that this recently finished quilt was much more summery (yeah, black, real summery...) and that it would look great with this sunflower pillow. I got that pillow at the Del in San Diego when I was there speaking at a conference a few years ago. It caused a bit of havoc trying to get it into my bag to get home. I like to travel light and a pillow and traveling light are not compatible. I ended up having to wear more than one day's worth of clothes home to make it fit!

You can just barely see a recently thrifted birdhouse with a crow and sunflower to the left of it on the little table. And one of the watermelons that was dispersed from the watermelon collection that had been on the dining room table before I changed that to a more patriotic display.

Mainly I did some work in the guest room. That's the flag room that I am always mentioning. A long skinny wall in the flag room became home for the tall house window shade I was griping about a few posts ago. Buggy Barn. Wow, that's a weird reflection, isn't it? It's from the mirror on the vanity.

I had to move quite a few things out of the flag room to make it more kid friendly. Well, more than a few. This bed looks totally naked without all its pillows. But they have to move so that I can remove

all the quilts that hide under the top one. And no, I didn't make that one. It is store bought and has been around for a very long time. I really like it, though, and it is a great addition to the flag room. Here is the top layer of hidden quilts.

I guess I should have taken a picture of each layer as I pulled it off. Maybe I will do that as I put them back on. Most of these are seasonal wall hangings. Obviously with Halloween front and center. I made that upside down one quite some time ago. I can see the Jo Ann fabrics from here. That was pre my becoming a fabric snob. Now I pretty much only buy backing fabrics from Jo Ann's. And thread. Whenever they have thread on sale I like to stock up. It's amazing how small a $100 sack of thread is, don't you think?

I do have to say, though, that last time I was there they had some pretty nice quilting fabrics. But just as spendy as going to the quilt shop so I would rather have the larger selection at the quilt shop. Plus I get to feel good about supporting the local businesses. At least that's what I tell myself as the cash register climbs to its scary total!

See you next time. Pics of the Boise quilt show. Promise.