Laundry Surprise
Sunday, September 28, 2008 I’ve spent most of my free time sewing lately and thus making good progress on my UFOs. I picked up the Laundry Surprise quilt yesterday and the binding is almost done. I plan to hang it this afternoon and will take a picture after it is up, but meanwhile here are few pics.
;)
Here’s the binding in progress. I love these clips…it makes this task so much easier to do.
;)
The backing is pieced. A first for me.
And my favorite - the quilt design. Can you tell what it is?
It’s coffee cups. grin I wanted something whimsy. I was hoping for a laundry related design - like perhaps t-shirts, jeans, etc but the coffee cups are more versatile. Someday we will move and then this quilt can go in another room easily. Like a sun porch that I can enjoy all season long. I’ll fill it up with quilts. Mentally I’ve already moved.
Lucy
Tom thinks the quilt is awfully big for the space. How can I explain to him that’s the plan? I’m thinking - “you’ll get use to it” is a good response. giggle It’s OK he already knows I’m a smart a$$.
So now my dilemma is which way to hang it. Here it is hung horizontally before I finished the binding. This was my original plan, but it seems too high on the wall. However, I cannot lower it because then the top of the circuit breaker box would show. frown
So I turned it vertically. I like this too, but I may move it closer to the back door if I leave it this way. It’s a little off center. But feel free to share your thoughts on what looks best. Vertical or Horizontal?
FYI - I just tacked it to the wall using small skinny picture hanging nails. They have little heads on them. You can’t really tell.
Lucy
OK - one more update. The last one - I promise. I moved the quilt a tad closer to the back door - leaving it vertical.
Here are some extra pics (just for you Nan) showing other parts of the room. Yep it is hard to get these shots, but I got a pretty good one standing in the garage. I’m now hunting for a nice rug to compliment all of this ( I keep moving out the ugly one and Tom keeps moving it back in - tee hee) and someday we want to replace that counter top and sink. One thing at a time.
;)
;)
;)
;){kind=link}
;)
Reader Comments (12)
I love the quilt and the quilting design is perfect! You make very pretty color choices. I am struggling with the quilting - piecing I can do. I am about to the point that I just feel like giving up. Something in me just will not let that happen. I want to do the whole quilt. I used to be very good at freemotion embroidery. But freemotion quilting is different. You did a great job of stippling on your other quilt. I enjoy your blog very much. Sue
Thanks for your comments and visit Sue. Oh don't give up on your free motion desires. But I understand the frustration. I'd like to really master this, but some quilts I just could never do myself. At least not until I get better at it. Have you seen Crazy Mom Quilt's work? She is a pro at this. And has short video showing visitors how she does it. It's an option on her menu @ this link
http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com
I love her blog - I wish I could pump out the work like she does. It's incredible. It inspires me to do more. I just checked - she has another quilt up for display today. Geez Louise. I wonder if she is human? grin
Anyway, I'm sure if you look her quilts you'll get re-energized to give free motion a try. Good luck!
I vote for horizontal - but it looks great either way! I love the quilting with the coffee cups. What kind of LA does your quilter use? Or did you do that? You are getting so good - it wouldn't surprise me if you did! I like the pieced back too. I may have to try that on something soon, if I'd just get myself in gear and actually work on something!
Janet -- Thanks for the feedback This was done by the LAQ - she uses a Gammill with Statler Stitcher. I think that is what it's called. The computerized setup. She is so nice -- we sat and paged thru several designs. Then she works up a digital image using different dimensions so you pick the best number of images per inch. That helps a lot. Something like this design looks funny if it's too big as you can't really tell it's a coffee cup. I keep telling her she has the coolest job in the world.
I'm sure you bought all kinds of goodies on your road trips so you'll probably make up for lost time this winter - eh?
Well, I'm going to vote for vertical!! The quilt is lovely!
Great design. Love how it turned out. Nice colors .....and my vote is vertical. It draws your eye up and makes the room look larger, and alows us to see more of the wall color - which by the way looks great with it! Wish I could see it with the washer and dryer showing also....maybe a straight on shot. I know it is hard to do in the small space.
Great -- I like it vertical as well. That is one long skinny space! The quilt is a great idea.
Love the coffee cups. Tell me about those binding clips!?! Do you press your binding before sewing? I'm presuming these help keep things positioned?
Tks gals for your visit and vote. I am leaning towards vertical but I may try horizontal again now that the binding is done. Just to be sure. It doesn't take much effort to switch it.
Janice -- Re: binding...
I cut 2.5" strips - press them in half and machine sew (using the walking foot) to the quilt front. Then I fold the binding to the back and line it up (slightly past) the machine stitching on the other side. This is my guide where to stitch it. I use the clips to hold it in place as I slip stitch. My LAQ prefers 2.25" strips - I find that is a bit too small. She says -- well you don't want to feel a lump in the binding (she means the batting). I asked why -- she says for competition. LOLLLLLLLL Yea right. In my next life!!!
Anyway - she also showed me how to blind stitch the binding (by hand) -- it is so cool. I use to hate binding -- mine always looked so amateur, but now I really like it. My stitches are looking better every quilt.
After I'm all done I press the binding around the quilt. I did not wash this quilt - I don't really want it all crinkly. Oh yea -- my LAQ also suggested the clips. They are just hair clips you get at any drug store. What a cool idea - eh?
I love the way that you hung this quilt! It looks so good there. Really brings a little cheer and happiness to the space! The quilting design is adorable! Have you started the Scrappy Stars yet or are you still waiting for fabric?
Thank Julia. No I have not started the Scrappy Stars yet -- I am waiting for a couple more fabric shipments - which should be here by Wednesday. But also I'm working on the memory bears. I really want (and need) to get those done first. My goal was to send them to family members before xmas. I gotta get focused -- tee hee.
Thanks for the pics........The chair, love the chair! Good idea - limits your clutter space. a place to hang your purse :) ...... The room looks good.
Definitely vertical, it looks great, and I adore that quilting motif, I'm going to have to look for some neat panto's like that!