The quilts' finishing

Almost one month I have been working on two similar quilts.
Having an challenging order I really satisfied with the final result.

The design is quite simple.Log cabins in three sizes - 6, 12, 18 inches.
Both quilts are the same order only the places of same colored squares are different.

I enjoyed myself making different backs.

Here I make the binding - the most pleasant task when all is finished.

The most interesting fact here is the way I have chosen fabric for the binding.
I wandered between white/black striped or checked fabrics.
Suddenly I had seen an IKEA fabric I hadn't put into the box.

I realized that cutting stripes will change totally this look.
Now I have two favorites IKEA fabrics - the "written"   for the backs and this one for the binding.

A tote with dual handles

As I mentioned in my previous post I have too much colorful pieces leftovers from men's swimming shorts.
Sewing another tote was very fast after having made a summer tote already.
But choose a proper color for the addition fabric was a funny task that took me more than one hour.

I have ordered on my table many combinations.

I have tried even checked fabric.

 Finally I decided on dark blue. I have followed all the steps except creating handles.

Here I made them using fabric loops and inserted the stripe into the loop.

Then stitched both ends together.

Such way you have a short handle (doubled) and a long one (single)

To fix them I have stitched velcro tape.

Summer tote at the seaside

I was given a big quantity of pieces leftovers from men's swimming shorts. They are colorful, amazing prints but strange shapes. Some of them are small narrow stripes, some has curved sides.
I have ordered on my table, dreamed a while and gather back in the box.
Three months or more I have no concrete idea.
One morning I got a pile of them. They are almost rectangle so I stitched two along the longest side.

I was not satisfied and insert a narrow blue stripe between.

 

What ate they use for?
Is it possible to make a tote?
Collect 4 of them, add thin batting and quilted. Trim to a square 15" (38 cm)

Attach a zipper pocket was very easy.
Cut two rectangles and stitch them like cushion leaving two inches opening and turn over.

 Stitch the first side of a zipper and prepare two felt pieces to cover both ends.

 Place on  the quilted back and stitch the pocket and the second (upper) side of the zipper.

 Attach the felt pieces.

The finished look.

Cut a stripe 45" long and 5" wide for side and bottom.
Place the stripe on the right side of the quilted square and stitch first side to a quarter inch to the edge and backstitch.
Forget to take a picture :)

Clip the stripe to make the corner and easy lay on the bottom side and stitch the same way.

Look how it looks on the front side

Repeat the same for the next side.
If you have exceed stripe trim it. It is better to have exceed fabric than run out.
Make the same steps with second quilted piece.
Now comes the lovely step for each quilter when the work is almost finished - the binding.
Yes, you heard properly. What does it mean to bind a tote?
If you have a serger one possible action is to sew and prevent fraying.
But binding the edges is more secure and the only possible variant without serger.
Use one inch stripe non folded.
Make as you usually make a quilt binding - the corners like the quilt's corners.

The second seam  - I don't care too much where goes the needle, but it is a good practice for the real quilt binding..

Make binding the same way at the upper side, too.
Now come the handles.
I found this beautiful synthetic rope.
Cut two pieces - 25 inches (64 cm) each and burned the ends by a lighter.
Stitch firmly on the tote and add buttons to hide the ends.

As a real summer tote I bring her at the seaside and took some pictures there.

The Floating piers bag

Till the last day before my travel to the famous Floating piers I was involved in sewing my bag and had no time to write a post.
But the result is pretty much amazing.

 

And the inside is amazing yellow fabric, too.

I could use it inside out, too. I like to have dresses and bags with two faces.

I wander if I make a pattern? do you think it is interesting?

When almost all the world is speaking about the piers and great artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude more than 500 000 people have been going on the water.
It was amazing installation of modern art.
There are 5 days left and all will be history.
The temporary items are most remarkable.
Thank you, Christo!

Quilting with an open toe walking foot

Till now I have been used my walking foot and think it works well. That's why I think buying an open toe foot is not a must.
After 10 minutes I am fell in love with my open toe foot.
Look at the visibility.

 

It goes better than my stitch in the ditch foot.

Very useful for the project I am making - QAYG wedding quilt.

 

Summer breeze quilt

Sometimes our plans are far away from reality. Our desires and expectations looks like impossible dreams.
This quilt was began in September immediately I finished my short holiday trip to the seaside.
At the very first beginning I intend to make it using a paper pieced block. But looking through my stash I was "caught" by blue white striped fabric.
Cutting was so funny as a kids playing.
Start with two squares, cut diagonally, sew together, cut striped triangle and attach.Rotate, viola!
Finished block.

 If you wander how to optimize cutting when don't know the size and hate calculating simply follow this simple tip. Place the finished half block, align to the strips and cut.
No rotary cutting, just scissors.

I trimmed finished block to desired size later.
Thanks to my EQ7 I decided on 16 block top and mitered boarders.

The quilting should be light as the air at the sea side.
I made stitch in the ditch and diagonal quilting on white squares.
What about boarders?
I free motion a winding rope.

The last thing - binding. It took me 1 hour before I was advised by a friend for BIAS binding.

Look how nice it is.

The whole quilt

 

Last week I found time to write a pattern and now it is available on CRAFTSY and ETSY.

If you wandering what the back is. Here you are.

Want to paper piece the boat?
Simply draw this block on a paper and paper piece. It is mirror image =
I have put the numbers. You have to decide on the size only.

ENJOY!