Colorado, A King Size Quilt

This was a quilt I made for my daughter in Colorado

Friday Favorites: Binding Clips

| Cindy Anderson

IMG_7639_ffWelcome to Friday Favorites!

All quilts have a frame around their border.  The frame or binding, as it’s referred to by quilters, serves more than one purpose.  The obvious intention is a means to provide an envelope to encase unfinished edges.  I like to think of it as the ribbon around a package.  The finishing touch.

While recently applying hand stitches to the back side of a binding I reminisced about the encounters I have had when stitching similar items.  I remembered the pricks and jabs that have marred my fingers and often drawn small droplets of blood from the straight pins holding the binding in place.  While attempting to avoid such encounters I have, over the years, tried several solutions.  I have used

  • Paper clips:  These worked OK but they often easily fell off.
  • Binder clips:  You know the kind you can find in the office supply section.  I found these to be quite effective but I worried about the chance of paint transfer or rust.

Although the above options served their purpose I just knew there had to be a better way . . . an invention perhaps.  Imagine my surprise when I stumbled on these amazing clips made by Clover called Wonder Clips.  Wonder clips are made out of plastic.  To open them you pinch it much like one would a clothespin.  In fact they remind me of mini clothespins.

These minis clips are exactly what I was looking for.  They

  • are easy to use
  • don’t prick your body parts
  • will not draw blood
  • are durable
  • and above all stay put

I just love using these little guys. Here’s a close up.

Wonder Clips can be purchased in quantities of ten, fifty or one hundred. The clips are available for purchase through Nancy’s Notions as well as many other vendors.  I just checked Nancy’s current pricing and she lists the cards of 10 Wonder Clips at $5.49, boxes of 50 at $24.99 and packs of 100 at $46.99. If you haven’t tried these nifty clips I would highly recommend you do!

Thanks for stopping by this edition of Friday Favorites!  Until next time, happy sewing.

Cindy Anderson of In A Stitch Quilting

To-Do-List

| Cindy Anderson

As mentioned in my post of January 3, 2013 one of my goals for this year was to establish and maintain a list of finished and unfinished projects.  Putting together such a list took quite a bit of research.  After rummaging through my stash of patterns, books and kits my scribbled notes were entered into an Excel Spreadsheet.  From that spreadsheet I put together this document.

Periodically throughout 2013 and beyond I hope to update this document.  I will use this resource to hold myself accountable.  My intention is to finish as many items on this list during 2013 as possible.  Hopefully the 2013 finished projects will far outweigh the volume of items I might add during the year.  So without saying anything more here’s the result of my research:

*Quilt Tops Ready for Quilting*

Bear’s Paw Quilt by Eleanor Burns from the TRIO of Treasured Quilts Quilt in a Day Series

Simple Times quilt by American Crib Quilts

*Fabric and Quilt Patterns Purchased For*

Autumn Quilt by Heart To Hand (added 2012)

Christmas Fun by Life’s A Stitch (added 12/2012)

First Year Log Cabin by Acorn Quilts (added 2012)

Heart & Home by Heart To Hand (added 2012)

Snowy Days by Heart To Hand (added 2012)

The Bundling Board by Primitive Pieces (added 2012)

The Log House by Washboard Quilts by Pat at Life’s A Stitch (added 9/2012)

*Quilt Pattern Purchased For*

Cathedral by Villa Rosa Designs (added 2012)

Civil War Battle Series # 2 by Clothesline Quilts

Courthouse Square # 169 by Country Threads

Family * Home * Friends by Cottage Creek Quilts

Full House by Schnibbles at Miss Rosie’s Quilt Co.  Purchased at Life’s A Stitch.  (added 2012)

In My Folk Art Garden by The Cinnamon Patch.  Purchased in Colorado Springs.  (added October 2012)

Joyful Welcome by Threads That Bind

Martin’s Pennies by Civil War Legacies

Snow Drifts by Hanging by a Thread

Sundance by Villa Rosa Designs (added 7/31/2012)

Tall * Small by Waltzing with Bears (added 2012)

*Fabric and/or Craft Pattern Purchased For*

Chelsea Tote by Lazy Girl

Elf Mittens by Button Stitch Designs.  Purchased from Life’s A Stitch.  (added 2012)

Encore Purse Insert by Studio Kat  3/19/13 Update:  Fabric purchased

Just Swell by Camille Roskelley for Thimble Blossoms.  Sewing Machine Cover (added October 2012)

Little Cupcake Tote by Penny Sturges for Quilts Illustrated.  Purchased from Nanas Quilt Cottage in Colorado Springs.  (added October 2012)

Margo Handbag by Lazy Girl.  Purchased from Life’s A Stitch.  (added 2012)

Patchwork Ironing Board Covers by Cotton Way.  Pattern purchased from Mill House Quilts (added 2012)

Penny Mats thru the Year, January, April and November by Buttermilk Basin.  Purchased from Life’s a Stitch.  (added 2012)

Sunflower Pillow by The Cottage at Cardiff Farms (added 7/31/2012)

Sunny Days Table Runner by Buttons for Hillcreek Designs.  Purchased from Backyard Quilts. (added 2012)

The Sammi Grace Bag by Fishsticks Designs

Tweety Birds by Creative Fiber Expressions (added 7/31/2012)

I also have fabric purchased to make three children’s quilts.  These quilts do not require a pattern.  (Two of these quilts are now finished.  One remains to be quilted.)

*Finished Items*

My Colorado daughter’s king sized quilt (Finished September 2012)

Garden Party Table Runner by Mary Cain.  Pattern purchased from Mill House Quilts.  (Finished 2012)

Hold Anything Bag by Dancing Crane Designs Pattern purchased from Mill House Quilts, fabric purchased from Backyard Quilts (Finished November, 2012)

Sandy Quilt # 1 (Finished January 2013)

Sandy Quilt # 2 (Finished 1/28/2013)

Sandy Quilt # 3 (Finished 2/25/2013)

Sandy Quilt # 4 (Finished 3/17/2013)

Tag Along by This & That.  Purchased from Life’s A Stitch. (added 2012) 3/19/13 Update:  Fabric ordered from Fabricworm.  Finished

May Night from the Pineapple Passion Collection by Nancy Smith and Lynda Milligan published by That Patchwork Place.  Finished 4/25/2013

Miranda Day Bag by Lazy Girl  3/19/2013 Update:  Fabric purchased 5/6/2013 Update:  Project started  Update:  Project completed 5/28/2013

Colorado Quilt is Finished

| Cindy Anderson

“I’m so excited that I just can’t hide it”. . .

Hide what you might ask?  Since January, of this year, I have been making a king size quilt for my Colorado daughter.  Many, many hours have been invested in its outcome.  After toiling over the construction and assembly of 100+ blocks, applying the borders, loading it on my long arm quilt machine, free motion quilting it, attaching and securing the binding . . . I am so very proud and pleased to say . . . it is Finished!!  Although its been a very long journey, I’ve loved pouring my heart into this beautiful creation.  The pattern was taken from Karla Alexander’s book Color Shuffle.  All of the fabric was purchased from Life’s A Stitch Quilt Shoppe  in Janesville, Wisconsin.  Let me share a few photos with you.

In the beginning . . .

It all began here . . . 100+ blocks awaiting assembly

The Quilt Top Before Quilting

This is the quilt top as it appeared after assembling 100+ squares and borders
The quilt sandwich awaiting its quilting stitches
A view of the meandering from the back side of the quilt
Another section of the backing after it was quilted
The quilt top draped over the quilting bars on my long arm quilting machine
It took 354 pins to secure the quilt top and back to the rollers of my long arm quilt machine. This view was taken just before removing the pins and the quilt from the machine.
Pins awaiting removal

I am just as pleased with the outcome of the quilt top as I am of the backing.  The back was assembled from left over blocks as well as fabric.  I think my daughter will be able to display the quilt on her bed from either side.

This is a sample of the meandering as it appears on the back side of the quilt
Another view of the quilt back

All finished, the quilt measures 113″ x 113.5″ and weighs 9.2 pounds.  If only I had kept track of the number of hours, yards of fabric and miles of thread used to put it together.  What an interesting bit of information that would have been.  Then again, maybe I wouldn’t want to know.  Any way, it was a labor of love for me and I will be so proud to see it displayed on my daughter’s bed when I hand deliver it to her in Colorado this fall.  I’m also certain that, since this quilt has been so much a part of my life the last nine months, I will truly miss seeing it every day.  I guess I will have to revisit this blog post and admire the pictures when ever I get lonely.

So what do you think?

I’m linking up with fellow quilters at Freshly Pieced.  Stop by her blog and entertain yourself with the other wonderful creations.