Hooray!!! "Day & Night" is officially FINISHED!!!
In my last post, the background and borders were done and I was pondering how to fill the stars. In the end, I chose to use a back-and-forth filler in the orange star blades, leaving the darker blades unquilted. I like how they pop and create a 'windmill' effect.
I also like the idea of quilting a traditional block with a modern twist...a little trick I learned from the brilliant Judi Madsen! Day & Night is the first in a a series of eight UFOs I plan to custom quilt using this approach.
Waaaaayyyy back when I made the top, I'd also prepared a traditional binding to go with it. I'm glad I did because the fabric matches the quilt - but it also limited my binding options:
- I could bind in the traditional manner, hand stitching the final round....ummm....no thanks.
- I could apply the binding by machine as in this post, BUT... I'd lose all my feather tips into the seam allowance...not great.
- I could try something new...YES! *fist pump*
Here's to trying something new!!!
I went ahead and stitched the binding to the FRONT of the quilt as if it would be hand stitched. Then I dug out my Roxanne's Glue-Baste-It and...well...glued the binding into place on the back of the quilt. |
| Gluing binding to the BACK of the quilt |
Once the binding was glued, I stitched it down from the FRONT of the quilt. My stitch-in-the-ditch foot helped me stay in the groove where the stitches would be less noticeable. I matched top and bobbin thread to the quilt.
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| Stitching the binding down from the FRONT of the quilt. |
The finished binding is very tidy on the front...
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| Binding, FRONT view |
...and the back.
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| Binding, BACK view |
Even though it is tidy, there is too much fabric extending beyond the stitching on the back. If I were to do this again (which I will!), I would make the binding strip narrower....maybe 2 1/4 inches instead of 2 1/2? It will take some experimentation, but I'll figure out a pleasing size.
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| 55" x 20" |
One down, seven to go! I wonder which UFO will be the next to grab my attention?
I've decided to join the fun and enter this quilt into the Small Quilts category of the Blogger's Quilt Festival at Amy's Creative Side.
To see this amazing online quilt show, hop on over and enjoy!
Also linking up with:
Whoop Whoop Friday!, at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Fabric Frenzy Friday, at Fort Worth Fabric Studio
A Stitch in Time May Finish, at Such a Sew and Sew
Finish it up Friday, at Crazy Mom Quilts
Try, Learn, Grow!
Carole
Comments are welcome. Thanks for looking around!
I just tried this method too. When I glued my binding down I lined it up about an eighth of an inch past the stitching and it worked quite well. I had to restitch two corners which were not caught, but for a first effort I am quite pleased. I much prefer hand stitched binding but there are some instances where a machine stitched binding is the better choice for strength.
ReplyDeleteI like the fast finish of a machine sewn binding, as well as the strength. I don't mind hand stitching, but with so many projects on my to do list, the faster the finish, the better! How wide did you cut your binding strips when you glue basted?
DeleteThis looks like a great method. I am going to give it a try. I have never been successful with machine applied bindings and always go back to hand stitching.
ReplyDeleteI now have three favourite ways to machine bind! Once I perfect the strip width, this will be the one that looks most similar to traditional hand binding. Good luck! If you think of it, let me know how it goes!
DeleteYour quilting is absolutely stunning! I love what you've done and the fan blades are so effective. Nice job Carole. As for the binding, I'm a hand stitcher but this looks interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marsha! I'm happy with the outcome, and ready for more quilting adventures! I'm a fan of binding quickly, but it has to look nice, too. This may be my favourite yet. Well, it will be once I figure out the best strip width to use.
DeleteVery clever solution for the binding! It is a gorgeous piece! I need to look through some of your older posts to see where you got the pattern.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Did you find what you need? It is a traditional block that has been updated by Eleanor Burns. It is strip pieced and cut using an acrylic template that comes with her "Day & Night" book. If you are trying to decide whether or not to buy the book, I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.
DeleteCarole: The Day and Night turned out awesome! It was just like night and day from the beginning flat look to the end where it shines like a jewel! I'm loving these posts - just like a visit to the gnome.... Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteThanks Judy, I guess it IS like night and day! (...good one!) Visiting via blogland is easier than visiting in the Gnome House...I just realized the other day that there are no chairs out there! I'm always at the frame, so I never really noticed the lack of seating before. Might have to fix that. Hope you are having a good weekend as well.
DeleteI love how you decided to finish the quilting; it looks great! And cool new binding trick!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm happy I took time to think about my options instead of rushing at the end of the day (as I was tempted to do). This binding method is my new favourite. :-)
DeleteThis runner is SO gorgeous! Your quilting leaves me in awe. Seriously. Love the binding technique and can't wait to try it. I need to find some of that Roxanne's glue!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Katy.
DeleteThis binding method is my new favourite...it's fast, easy, and accurate. Can't beat that! Roxanne's is the best. I've used it quite a bit for applique and such, and it doesn't gum up your machine! It's also water soluble, so as soon as the quilt is washed, the glue is gone. AND you only need a tiny bit to do the trick! (No, I'm not being sponsored or anything, I'm just a fan! LoL)
I use my ditch foot all the time to do the binding this way and yes I now use the 2 1/4" binding too and it comes out really nice. Your designs worked perfectly and I really like how you finished the stars.
ReplyDeleteGood to know, Vicki. I'll try it with 2 1/4" next time, with confidence. Thanks, I'm happy I didn't rush into quilting the stars at the end of the day when I was tired. Sometimes it pays to have some time to think!
DeleteYour quilting is stunning! The binding technique looks interesting as well. I may have to try that!
ReplyDeleteThanks Beth! The binding was really easy to do. I highly recommend it. :-)
DeleteYour quilting is amazing! Well done!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It was a fun quilting adventure to try something new on something old. :-)
DeleteCarol, this is amazing! I was drooling over the blocks but your quilting has just put this over the top! Your quilting is so awesome! And that binding technique. . . I am DEFINITELY going to try! I was reading a book recently (Karen McTavish Quilting for Show) and it said to use 2" binding strips.... This seems pretty darn tight but if you do the math (and you know that is not my forte lol) I think it might just work? I haven't tried it yet so I can't give real life experience :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! I just came back from checking your progress on your triangle quilt, and talk about a wow finish!
DeleteI highly recommend the binding technique. I think I'll try it with 2 1/4" first, and if it's still too much, go narrower. Two inches seems like it might be very tight, but maybe it is just perfect? Let me know if you try it before I do!
Very pretty! My mother-in-law gave me her copy of this book and it's on my list to make. I really like your version and the quilting is amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jenn. I hope you will enjoy making your version. I like how it all comes together from strip sets.
DeleteHi Carole
ReplyDeleteFirst, congratulations on a finish - which is always great. I agree with you on liking a modern twist on the quilting and I like what you have done here. Beautiful colour palette too! Thanks for walking us through the binding. I'm self taught so there are quite a few things I've never meet before - and this is one of them! I've never heard of glue basting before, or meet the stitch in the ditch foot. I take it you attached the binding on the front 'normally' by machine?
Thanks Hilary, and yes I did attach the binding to the front as usual, wrapping around to the back and gluing. I saw Sharon Schamber do something similar in preparation for hand binding, and thought...hmmm, maybe it would work for machine binding too!
DeleteCarole, I'm so glad to find your blog from the NQB Google group - I just started longarming and love every little bit of inspiration I can find out there for design and quilting : ) And I always machine quilt my bindings, but I have never tried this glue method - I like how you get that non-machined look on the front - I'll definitely have to give this a try!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! It's wonderful to meet you, Sarah. What fun to have another longarmer to share with, learn from, and be inspired by! I popped over and took a peek at your first project. (Wow...no pressure!) Way to go! I'm trying to remember what my first longarm project was...probably a gift. I'd have to look it up. I've been keeping a record of each quilt I've longarmed in a little spiral notebook, and I'm glad to have it. Now I can look back and see what I've completed, and when. I've recently started adding more detailed notes to give me a sense of what to charge customers for similar work should anyone want custom quilting. (Just got my business license in April). Might be good to think about keeping records early in your longarm journey, even if you are just doing your own quilts...could be helpful later!
DeleteYour quilting is stunning! Great tips on the binding!
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by. I went to Quilt Canada in Saskatoon in 2009...were you there at the time? I took a couple of classes with Coreen Zerr. :-)
DeleteYour quilting looks amazing! I love how it turned out! I really like that you tried a new binding method out and it looks so nice and clean.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michelle! I'm happy the whole thing worked out as well as it did - quilting and binding were both new ventures. I love trying new things, and don't hesitate to experiment on my own quilts. :-)
DeleteIt's incredible and, as always, your quilting is exquisite. If I lived closer I'd have you do the quilting on one of my pieces because it would, not only, be beautiful but I could also say........I remember her, when...."
ReplyDeleteThanks for that, Jo. One of these days, when I think my work is up to snuff, I want to enter Quilt Canada...one of these days. In the meantime, practice, practice, practice. :-)
DeleteAmazing work! Really!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Debbie. I'm enjoying practicing on my old UFOs. Feels great to finish them, too!
DeleteNice! Autumn! I love it!
ReplyDeleteThis is just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful colors and quilting!
ReplyDeleteHopping over from linky party Such a Sew and Sew.. I love gluing too.. I love the quilting on this runner.
ReplyDelete