Month 12

[Jeannine K.]

I notice that the embellished binding is 1/2" wide and single fold. I normally cut my binding 2 1/4" double fold. I'm wondering if this embellished binding will work fine with double fold or would be too bulky? Perhaps will do a small sample before attempting the actual binding...

[Jeannine K.]

Sounds like you have answered your own question. :wink:

Now really is the time to make sure that everyone has got everything saved of this BoM that wants to, even after Lorna's remainder of last month.

[Rita C.]

I am definitely not going to be bothering with that. This quilt is far too big for that kind of carry on.

I finally finished my quilt top. I posted a photo in show and tell and wanted to post a close up of how I did the corners but the process is soooo slow that I just can't stand it. So here's a photo of my finished top and a close up of how I did the corners. So glad to be finished it and now I just have to figure out how to quilt it. :lol:

[Beverly C.]

Wow, Rita! It is beautiful!!!!!

[Renata L.]

Rita, your quilt is gobsmackingly beautiful! Making it red and white was a perfect choice and I really prefer the design without the baskets. You've made this gorgeous quilt totally your own! Congratulations! You definitely have to quilt this one to the end so that you can enjoy it in its total glory. Well done, Rita! I am actually without the right words I like it so much!!!

[Barb A.]

Gorgeous, Rita! I really love how everything turned out on your quilt. Yummy. Your corner treatment is perfect.

Regarding the embellished binding, I am of 2 minds on this one. (Well, my husband might say that I am frequently of more than one mind, but we can ignore that.) I like the effect - looked at it closely when I viewed the quilt in Houston last month, and I found it truly lovely - but it appears to be done with metallic thread (maybe, my memory is hazy). That bothers me in terms of durability and just general difficulty in attaching the embroidered fabric as binding. I am thinking I need to make some test strips, with Yenmet and also with Isacord, using several different embroidery stitches, to see how a strip will actually work when being used to bind. Also, it seems to me that alternating thread colors and simple-then-more-involved stitches from row to row would ease the stress on the binding action.

Has anybody else done any testing? I am curious about everyone's thinking on this.

And another thought about the single-fold approach - it makes sense not to double-fold with embellishment, but there we are back to a question of durability. Perhaps using Isacord and alternating rows of straight stitching with ornamental stitching would allow double fold. So much to think about!

As for the quilting, I had originally planned to do it on my Bernina 830 (whenever I decide that enough is enough, no more tweaking of points and such), but I discovered last month when I was quilting a different, simpler, quilt that my shoulders are no longer up to maneuvering the fabric, even after my rotator cuff surgeries. So I am now delightedly waiting on my new Juki long-arm to be delivered, but I want to do a less-precious quilt on it before I put the Two of Us quilt under its needle. So the quilting will wait a bit longer.

This has been a wonderful experience for me this year - in late June my husband was diagnosed with cancer and we have spent several anxious months - he is now in remission - but this quilt has given me something to focus on while he has been recuperating from all the treatment protocol. And it has been a real pleasure to visit the BOM forum and galleries - thank you all for forming such a great community.

Barb in Alabama
Drizzling rain on my rose garden

[Jeannine K.]

Rita, your quilt is absolutely gorgeous, I love the way you did the corners. I did mine according to the pattern and if I ever do another TQS BOM you have given me the courage to try something different to make it my own. It is truly lovely.

Re the embellished binding, I definitely do not think metallic thread is the way to go on this. I love the way the cotton thread looks on this quilt and because it is so brightly colored, i feel it does not need additional bling. I am going to do some testing with cotton and poly threads on a few some samples before I decide how wide to cut and whether single or double fold.

I'm still relaxing a bit from the appliqué before putting all the blocks together. Thank you to all for all the wonderful input and tips from Margo for doing this project, I really have learned so much doing this. I would love to do another one, but the 2014 quilt does not interest me. Perhaps the following year!

Jeannine

[E.M. T.]

Rita...you're quilt is just plain wonderful ! The design changes are truly lovely...a light, airy quality ! Anxious
to see how you quilt it up.

[E.M. T.]

Rita, I love your quilt, it is just amazing. My husband said WAW when I showed it to him. Great work, and you really made it your own.
Margarita

[Rita C.]

Thank you all so much for your lovely comments.

[Andree B.]

Rita! Your quilt is absolutely beautiful, congratulations!

As for the binding, I was surprised to read that it is single fold, and on the straight of grain (actually, I think it is on the WOF?), and 1/2 inch... I think the 1/2 inch is preferable with the decorative stitches? Should we chose to do it on the bias, then we might consider making the decorative stitches on the Straight of grain, and when cut at an angle, the decorative stitches would be at an angle. Just need to make sure that when we join 2 strips (at an angle), that the distance between the 2 lines are consistent. (Do I make any sense?) Anyway, it needs experimenting....

Still working on mine!

Andrée

[Andree B.]

That's fantastic, Rita! Love it!!

[Andree B.]

Looking fabulous there Rita

ans so is the quilt... :wink:

[Rita C.]

:lol: :lol: :lol: Thanks! Great new profile photo Carole.

[Nancy R.]

OMG, Rita! Your quilt just took my breath away! How gorgeous!!

Nancy