Birdsong Quilt, Finished at Last!

I love our big ol' barn, but I especially love it when it comes time to photograph a quilt. Mr. T. and I hung the quilt this afternoon, just after I finished the binding..., piped binding, of course!  This just might be my favorite quilt ever!  Oh, wait... I think that's what I say each time I finish a new one.  Pretty sure...

I have generally chosen a plain background on previous quilts so I love the sweet little sampler print that I used for this quilt.  It adds another great element to the design.  

Do you want to know how to do this method of piped binding on your quilts?  Well... I am happy to share. This beautiful binding is done entirely on the sewing machine.  There is no handwork involved, not a single stitch! I must say that this is not my method nor did I write the instructions.  This was taught to my Quilters' Guild by our member, Doris K., the very SAME Doris K. who showed me how to do needle turn appliqué, which inspired me to make this quilt. These are her directions, compiled from various sources, I believe.

You can find the piped binding directions that I used here.  The instructions suggest that you use a pintuck foot to make the piping. I have made piping without using a pintuck foot, just used my zipper foot, but I can honestly say that the pin tuck foot made things MUCH easier.  I suppose that you could use purchased piping... but your own fabric covered piping is much nicer.  I used a 4 ply, worsted weight cotton yarn made by Peaches and Creme for the center of the piping.  I believe that I purchased mine at Michaels

It is also very helpful to use blind stitch foot.  On my Bernina, that is foot #5.  It has a guide that runs perfectly along the channel between the piping and the binding and places the stitches just where they need to be.  

I hear that quilt judges love to see piped binding on quilts.  We'll see if the quilt show judges at our show love it on my quilt.  It will be judged on Thursday, April 10th.

Wish me luck! But really, as I mentioned some time ago in this post, "I don't need no stinking ribbons!"

Busy, busy!

I am happy to say that I am back in the saddle again, the SEWING SADDLE, and have recently posted a number of finished Thread Catchers at my Etsy shop, Curry Bungalow .  I have a few new fabrics that I am crazy about and they have inspired me.  

The new line from Bonnie and Camille, "April Showers", is so cute that I can hardly stand it! I love those little umbrellas.  And that red polka dot coordinates perfectly.  I love these fabrics so much that I made a new thread catcher for myself, like I need another one...

Another personal favorite is this sweet little scissors print.  The coordinating lining is a mannequin print and I put these together with some of my Avalon fabrics.  LOVE IT!

I guess I should confess,...  I am just a little bit addicted to making these things.  Can you be a little bit addicted?  Is that like being a little bit pregnant?  In any case,  I love making these things, and I especially love that others are as excited about them as I am.  

Birdsong Quilt - Preview Before Binding

The quilting for my "Birdsong" quilt was just completed by my friend, Corrine.  I got my first peek at it at our Guild meeting this week.  I am so very pleased with the way that it turned out! Corrine did a marvelous job and I am so happy with it.  I did not want the quilt to be TOO heavily quilted. That makes a quilt much too stiff, to my way of thinking, feeling more like a potholder than a comfortable quilt.  And who wants a quilt like that?

Lighting conditions were not optimum as I took a few photos today, and these do not quite give the quilt the justice it deserves.  Corrine changed thread colors repeatedly throughout the quilt, so the red birds have red quilting and the blue birds have blue.  She also used various greens and browns for the leaves.  I know that it is SO much work to cut and change thread that often, but Corrine did just that and it makes all the difference.  I cannot image what the quilting would look like if it were all one color. 

I love the feather detail on the wings and tails.

And speaking of feathers, check out the positively delicious detail of the feather quilting in the 12 inch outer border.

Corrine created a paper template to lay out the feather quilting design.

This is the variety of thread colors that Corrine used in the quilting process. WOW!

Next step will be the red piped binding .  I will be using the same method used to bind my Hanging Basket Quilt. The binding usually goes remarkably fast, once I get to it.  I hope to have a photo of the finished quilt posted soon!  It should be finished in plenty of time for our big Quilt Show in April.  Stay tuned...