Quilting my Tossed Nine Patch quilt

After much internal debate I have decided to quilt my tossed nine patch with quilting in the ditch. I usually quilt with a cross hatch but I don't think that method would look good with the sashing. I'm able to quilt most of the block in a continuous line. My favorite part about quilting is buring the thread ends. I like the popping sound as the knot magically disappears into the backing. I don't like struggling with huge quilts in my sewing machine and mine has a large harp. My goal is to quilt a block a day. Twenty blocks and I have completed four. At least I'm making progress considering the fact that it has been hanging over our railing for a month as I mulled over quilting designs and procrastinated starting the quilting stage. 

Morning Reflection

My favorite way to start my day is to eat breakfast on our patio. It's quiet and I can reflect and just enjoy the sounds of the rustling trees, bird calls and rhythmic insect sounds. We have a beautiful view in our backyard, it was the reason I picked the lot when we were deciding to build our house. Beyond the trees is a pond which welcomes many birds and animals. My favorite visitor is the Blue Heron. 

Today there was a lot of activity from four blue jays. The sound of blue jays always brings me back to summer vacations spent as a child at Higgins Lake, Michigan. 

It's starting to sound like fall. To some people the onset of fall happens when the leaves turn colors. For me, it's when the leaves start to rustle and I begin to hear distinctly different insect buzzing sounds. I don't mind fall with it's gentle breezes and warm sun on your shoulders. It's the looming winter that I don't like about this season. 

Laundry Can Wait!

Some days I just feel like quilting. Today is one of those days. I hope to finish my tossed nine patch I'm making from an Eleanor Burns pattern. I love watching her show, "Quilt in a Day" she makes everything "seam sew easy." Her instructions are very detailed, right down to which side you should press your seams. All her shows can be found on her quilt in a day website. 

How to Make a Quilter's Ironing Board Table

I've been busy spring cleaning. One of my projects was to replace the fabric on my ironing board table. I made this ironing board table when I first started to quilt. I've recovered it twice so I decided it needed to be torn apart and recovered again.

MATERIALS:
2' x 4' MDF wood or a size to your requirement
1 1/2 yards insul-bright (heat resistant batting) required for 2' x 4' board
1 1/2 yards batting ( I used a crib size pre-packaged batting)
1 1/2 yards duck fabric
1 1/2 yards decorative fabric (this will be the final layer of your cover)
staple gun
1/4" staples and 1/2" staples
non-flammable temporary spray adhesive
scissors
small hammer

Note about MDF wood: I use steam frequently and I haven't had a problem with the wood warping.

INSTRUCTIONS:
First decide how big you want to make your ironing table. I wanted mine to be 2' x 4'. Home Depot has MDF in stock already cut to this size.

 I wanted 12 inches to extend past my table to make my work surface longer. I screwed a small board under my ironing board so that it would hold it steady to the edge of the table.

I cut the insul-bright to extend 2 1/2 inches past the edges of the board. I smoothed it down and attached the insul-bright to the bottom of the ironing table one edge at a time pulling it tight as I stapled.  I used 1/4" staples.

 I then cut the batting the same size and attached it to the table with the staple gun. Pulling it tight as I stapled.

I also wrote a note on the exposed wood on the bottom of the board specifying how much fabric I would need for recovering next time.

Next I cut a piece of duck fabric the same size and stapled it to the table. At this point I needed to switch to 1/2" staples.

This step is optional. I applied a non-flammable spray adhesive to the duck cloth then I positioned my decorative cover fabric on top. I smoothed out all the wrinkles and laid it fabric side down to allow it to set for a few minutes.

I trimmed the fabric and proceeded to staple it to the back of the board as I pulled the fabric along the way.

At the corners I stapled the fabric from both sides and stapled the fabric at the folded miter. As I stapled, I tucked the excess fabric under the folded miter.

  

Finished and ready to use for ironing. Next project will be a table skirt to hide my storage area underneath!

Double Binding Dilemma

One of the first quilt books I bought was the Big Book of Small Quilts by Mary Hickey. I've made two wall quilts contained in this book and another is on my bucket list. I used the Starry Path pattern for the wall quilt I made in memory of my mother. I call the quilt Esther's Star.

With each quilt I make, I like to try a new technique to expand my skills. With this quilt I wanted to learn how to add a double binding. The original pattern did not have a double binding but I thought it would add a pop of color. My first attempt was very disappointing. It's more a radius than a corner!

I finished binding the quilt but was definitely not happy with the results on any of the "corners".

A few months later I stumbled upon Susan K. Cleveland's Piping Hot Binding technique. Her corners are so crisp and the piping is so small. I knew this method would look great on Esther's Star so I bought her Groovin' Piping Trimming Tool in the original size and ripped out the old binding. The Groovin' Piping Trimming Tool can be purchased at Susan K. Cleveland's website  www.PiecesBeWithYou.com. She has some links to her YouTube videos teaching this method on her website too.

 I tried a 5 groove pintuck foot but ultimately I decided to use a zipper foot.

I am very happy with the end result. I highly recommend Susan K. Cleveland's Piping Hot Binding technique and her Groovin' Piping Trimming Tool. I achieved great results on my very first corner!

Here is the finished quilt with nice square corners. 

This is what my quilt looks like on the back. With this method you can stitch your binding by hand on the back. I'm proud to display this wall quilt now.

Learning how to sew

My mom started teaching me how to sew by hand at first. I remember going to the dime store with her to pick out my first embroidery project. It was a bib for my baby cousin. The white bib already had the embroidery pattern printed in blue on it. Mom also bought me a wooden embroidery hoop, a sewing box, and embroidery thread that day. She taught me how to sew a running stitch, satin stitch, daisy stitch and French knots. I liked French knots the most.

After a few years of hand embroidery I wanted to learn how to use a sewing machine like my mom used everyday. My mom, being fearful of an eight year old running an electric sewing machine, bought a treadle sewing machine from a relative. Mom taught me the basics of operating a sewing machine. I started making stuffed animals. I broke a lot of needles sewing on fake fur until mom suggested using leather needles which were stronger.

I tried making garments but wasn't too good at it so I left that up to my mom. She sewed all my clothes until I was 12, which was when I told her I preferred to wear store bought clothes. I'm sure this hurt her feelings but that's not something a 12 year old who wants to dress like everyone else thinks about. Periodically, I would ask her to sew a tailored jacket or a special dress. I still have a dress she made for me which I keep hanging in my closet preserved in a garment bag . Ironically, it has half square triangles in the bodice.  I would have loved helping her sew my wedding dress but my mom passed away before I met my future husband . She was only 57 years old, much too young!

When I sew, I feel connected with my mom. The sounds of sewing; scissors cutting into fabric, pins scattering in a dish, and the whirl of my sewing machine all remind me of her. I made a wall quilt using the fabric from clothes she wore and it hangs next to my sewing machine. I call the quilt, "Esther's Star." I know she's looking down on me as I sew and smiling at my creations.