Aqua Dots Strip Quilt


red and white binding on quilt

I just finished a quilt that I made just to try machine binding.  It’s a quilt-as-you-go strip quilt, which means it’s quick and simple.

red, aqua, polka dot quilt

I’m loving the aqua, red and white color scheme with tons of polka dots.  Those three colors (and the dots) are among my favorite things right now.  I’m calling it my Aqua Dots Strip quilt.

I found the binding tutorial on a great quilting blog, Red Pepper Quilts .  The tutorial is here .  Four years ago when I started quilting, I took a class on binding and I’ve been finishing my bindings by hand ever since.  I usually cut my binding only 2 inches wide because I like a really tight, neat binding with no gaps inside it.  I enjoy this process, but it takes many hours and thousands of stitches (think 8-10 stitches per inch around a 400 inch perimeter).  I strained my elbow a little carrying my baby’s car seat, so stitching by hand has been irritating it some lately.  I’ve also found that sitting down to do some hand sewing is much harder when you have 3 or 4 children dive into your lap every time you sit down (not to mention the fact that there’s so much cleaning to do that you don’t feel like you CAN sit down). So this tutorial got me excited, because I’m at a point right now when I’d LOVE to be able to fully finish a quilt on my machine.

Here’s a peek at one of the nicer spots on my binding after reading the tutorial.

quilt binding

Don’t worry, there were other spots (several of them) when I completely missed the binding and had to go back and fix it.  All in all, I’m pleased.  This is definitely harder than it seems, because you stitch from the top but the binding you’re stitching is on the bottom so you can’t see it at all.  I pinned pretty well and had my machine on the slowest setting.  This method will take some practice, but I think it’s worth getting good at.

red & aqua strip quilt

The fabrics I used in this quilt actually came from a little quilt kit I purchased a long time ago when I thought that our last baby would be a boy.  For some reason, for years I really felt like we’d end up even.  Well, that didn’t happen, and these fun fabrics were still in their bag.  The binding was a great excuse to whip it up, especially since it’s a pretty small quilt (baby size).

I taught myself a great lesson in this quilt, which is that haste does NOT produce quality.  The strips weren’t cut perfectly when someone assembled the kit, and I didn’t bother to fix them.  I also was so intent on finishing it quickly that I didn’t stop and rip out a couple of mistakes… which means that the stripes in the quilt aren’t completely straight and that there’s some curve to one end of the quilt.  Oh well.  I think the quilt is still cute, and it’s certainly going to be used, but I won’t be giving it away as a gift or anything like that.  I really don’t feel like it’s a reflection of the work I’m capable of, or of the attention to detail that I usually have when I’m sewing.  Good reminder, since I’ve got like 10 quilts I’m really anxious to start!

That said, the purpose of this quilt really was the binding.  I’m definitely going to work at mastering this one!  Here’s one last look at the quilt after it had been through a rinse cycle and then the dryer.  I do like it!   I love the happy colors and the dots.

aqua dot strip quilt

What do you think?

Vintage Tablecloth: Green lattice with pink blossoms

This is one of the tablecloths that I love and use regularly.

green vintage cloth with pink blossoms

Measuring 48 by 53 inches, it is printed on a cotton/polyester blend, which probably accounts for the incredibly vivid color after years of storage.  It had some yellowing when I purchased it, but it soaked out beautifully.

vintage pink and green tablecloth

This tablecloth looks fabulous on my kitchen table, especially with pink tulips.  I love to get it out.  It also came with four napkins, each with a green border.

vintage tablecloth with napkins

So striking, it always attracts attention!

vintage tablecloth with pink blossoms

Ranunculus, my favorite flower

Do you have a favorite flower?

ranunculus 1

I have several of them, actually (like these hydrangeas ).  But there is one that I love more than all the others.

ranunculus 2

Ranunculus.  My all-time favorite.  The flower that makes my heart skip a beat.

ranunculus 3

Earlier this week I ran into a florist shop looking for white flowers, and there, to my amazement, was a bucket of 6 white ranunculus, just arrived.  I was so excited!  The girl working in the shop had no clue what they were.  I purchased the prettiest ones and happily brought them home.

ranunculus 4

They’ve been making me happy all week, so I thought I’d share.

ranunculus 5

I love all the gorgeous fabric flowers floating around the fashion world, but when I see these, I just don’t think anything else comes close to the real thing.

ranunculus 6

I stand in awe of the beauty in our world, and feel grateful to have a little drop of it in my home.

ranunculus 7

No wonder so much has been written over the centuries about flowers…

ranunculus 8

They bring happiness on a winter’s day.

ranunculus 9

They bring happiness on any day!

ranunculus 10

What’s your favorite flower?  Do tell!
After you tell, hop over to The Inspired Room for more inspiration.
Have a great day!

Hopeful Homemaker

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