Virtual Sewing Retreat - Day 3

Well I didn't get as much time to sew Thursdayas I had other "chores" that needed doing today. After my run this morning, I managed to get a bit of sewing in before I went out for lunch with my grandmother. Then no sewing again until the kids were in bed.


Its Friday again, and I am just finishing up the baby quilt. My sister-in-law had a little girl early this morning, and I'm finishing the quilt label now.

Gift Sewing

Gift - Bag

Tonight I started and finished (ok it still needs the drawstring) a drawstring swim bag as a birthday gift. The bag is lined with ProCare, a water proof fabric, that is used in diaper covers, wet bags and sheets for babies, left over from my diaper making days.

Quilting

Scrappy Quilt

Back of Scrappy Quilt

I also made up a sample of the quilt fabrics. Its a little scrappy quilt, that I made the top for and quilted today. I used some store bought bias tape that was in my stash. It has become a dolly quilt, to match the yet to be quilted birthday present. The top has been quilted with 4 different colours... I actually like the pink, yellow and green quilting lines, much better than the blue. The blue wasn't a perfect match, but I liked the bright colours. I will definitely need to pick up more thread to do the whole quilt top!!!

Free Motion Quilting

Free Motion Practice!

And I practised some free motion quilting. I found a project I started at a sewing show, but never had a chance to finish. Today I did some of the quilting, before I tired out...

I am still not 100% happy with my stitches, they really vary in length... but I am working on it, and practising. I don't know if I would free motion a large quilt, but I will finish this project with free motion.

Quilt Finished!

Quilt Show & Tell

My goal for last week was to finish the quilt. I quickly got the binding attached, but didn't quite get all the hand sewing done on the binding until Thanksgiving Monday. The quilt is now finished - just waiting a label. I will make the label once the baby is born...


Because of Thanksgiving, I missed the linkup here... That's OK! I hope to have something complete for next weeks Show-n-Tell... See below for this week's goal!

Quilt Back

Quilt Top

Near the edges, I used flowers

Flower Sections - For the middle, I used parallel lines on an angle

Free Motion Quilting Practice


Last week I picked up a second bobbin case so I could change the bobbin tension on my sewing machine. The great thing about it is I have two sewing machines to use: my Janome 4800 and the kids Janome 4130QDC - and they both use the same bobbin case. My mom's Janome 6500 needs a different bobbin case as it has built in scissors -- but all the feet are interchangeable on all 3 machines!!!


I do like the quilting a bit better now... the tension is better, I hope that with practice I can get my stitch lengths better... I might do some Free Motion on my next project... but maybe not as I'm not 100% comfortable with it...

Free Motion Practice

Free Motion Practice Back?

My Next Quilt Project

This is an OLD UFO/Wip! I started this for my son who is turning 10 in January... its now for his almost 5yo sister. I'm hoping to have it done for her birthday in November... I have 8 strips, and have started sewing the strips together. The goal this week is to sew all strips together and get the backing ready. Hopefully I'll also get it basted together...

My Next Project....

For this week - Oct 11 until 17

• Finish hand stitching the quilt -- DONE!
• Finish my daughter's Quilt Top
• Make the backing for the above Quilt
• Hopefully Baste the layers together
• Make a Birthday Present - Swim Bag, for a friend's daughter
• Run my first Half Marathon --- OK this is totally NOT sewing related! Check here for an update on my run

And upcoming at the end of the month is...

My 7yo daughter finished sewing together the Quilt along top.  Its a little narrower and one of the strips is a little thinner than the instructions said, but these were scrap fabrics and the best I could come up with!

Quilting

I'm joining Christina over at A Few Scraps on a Free Motion Quilt along. Hopefully I can keep up with the Quilt-Along!


First I dug through the fabric bag looking for fabric. The fabric chosen was all given to me, and some isn't of the best quality, but for this I'm not worried. My daughter sewed the small and medium pieces together, I did the cutting and ironing.

I don't have anything here for a backing or batting so will wait until I am home to get those out.