September 30, 2012

2 finished quilts! {finally!}

I don't know why it takes me so long to finish a quilt. I love making the top--choosing the fabrics/colors, the design, piecing it together. I dislike making the quilt sandwich and pinning it. It takes up so much room and it's a pain in the rear trying to keep everything straight and smooth. Then there's the difficult decision of how to quilt it and getting those first few rows of quilting in. Binding used to be the most time-consuming step but since I started using Rita's machine binding tutorial, it makes for a quick finish. Yesterday I found some major motivation and finished 2 quilts!  I present to you my Polka Dot Pinwheels quilt:




I started this back in April. It sat around for a long time waiting to be quilted because I knew I wanted to do free motion quilting and I'm not very good at free motion quilting. I did FMQ just in the white areas. It turned out well and I like the effect it gives on the back of the quilt.

I also finished this random baby quilt which is the last quilt I will make with a hand-stitched binding. (The binding looks great but just takes too long!) The earliest record I have of it was back in April (when it just needed the binding finished) but I know it had been sitting around for awhile before that. I used Elizabeth Hartman's loopy flowers quilting tutorial.



(And sometimes your little helper thinks you're taking to many pictures of quilts and wants to get in on the action.)


Part of what got me motivated to finish these was Flaunt Your Finish over at OKC Modern Quilt Guild. Plus now I also have two quilts to share at the Omaha Modern Quilt Guild meeting on Tuesday.

OKC Modern Quilt Guild

5 comments:

  1. Okay. I need to coerce you ini a sitt down to discuss bindings, because my first attempted machine binding was a complete flop! I'm certain a large part of it was the machine. But just in case, I'll be finding you the next time I have to bind something!

    I LOVE the pinwheels!!! Can't wait to see it in person on Tuesday!

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  2. Pinwheels - You cannot go wrong with a classic!!! And the polka dots?! I'm always up for a good polka dot!!!

    I especially like the backing fabric for the 2nd quilt. Do you remember what it is?

    Thanks so much for linking up with us at "Flaunt Your Finish!" We love checking out all of the fabulous quilts our fellow mod quilters are making.

    -Amanda-
    OKCMQG Member

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  3. They were even better in person!

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  4. Those Pinwheels are stunning! I love the colors, and I envy your stippling skills. The stippling-on-white-parts only does look cool on back, and on (I think) on the front as well. Kind of makes the pinwheels stand out even more.

    Making the quilt sandwich is my least favorite part as well. But I use 505 basting spray, which does make things go faster.

    -Robin (here via FYFF)

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  5. Great quilt! Seriously, there's not much better than a polka-dot pinwheel!

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