My Binding Bash!

Five quilts had been back from my long arm quilter for some time ... my sewing room is sew small ... I kept having to move the quilts from one place to another in order to sew.  Yep ... it was pretty ridiculous ... it was time to buckle down and host my own binding bash!

I hauled "Her Majesty" out onto the dining table and decided to begin with with the largest quilt ...

... my king sized Red Ridge Beauty!

Her story has been well documented ... so I won't go into all the details ... but I honestly love her!  Seriously ... she makes my heart flutter!

The long-arm quilter worked her magic ... and made the quilt even more delightful.

Separate feather designs in the light and red bands ... going in opposite directions ... lovely!

In the narrow three inch border she creatively used a single row of pebbles to distinguish it from the pieced top ... and then finished it off with a narrow feather.  Wonderful in every way!

After finishing the king sized, I chose to do the smallest one next.  This was the first precut I bought ... many years ago ... a jelly roll!  I have no idea what line it was or how many years ago, but it was the first year precuts were released!  Wasn't sure what to do with it, so kept it until I came across the "Fastest Jelly Roll" quilt pattern.

I spy my Supervisor ... she isn't allowed on the dining table, so she likes to watch what I'm doing from a chair.  Sew cute!  I pieced this top ... I think it was around 2008 ... didn't have any yardage for borders, backing or binding.

This one seemed to be Flicka's favorite.  The fabric is very sweet ... I wish I had yardage!

I'm happy and impressed with the way the long-arm quilter chose to quilt it ... a small vine along each seam and then blossoms placed randomly.

The results are wonderful!  A simple and silly quilt was made beautiful by her talent!

Third quilt ... second day ... queen sized quilt from Terry Atkinson's Spring Cleaning book!

While seaming the binding ends, I noticed someone had snuck up on the quilt ... which is on the table!

She made herself comfortable...

... well ... she is really on the quilt, not on the table! ;-)

The phone rang ... by the time I came back, she had moved in close to the machine and was napping.  What's a cat lover to do?  Let her nap, of course!

More magic from the long-arm quilter.  She ran a leaf vine through the X blocks to create a trellis and a flower motif for the O blocks!  Perfect!

This quilt is also a favorite!  I love 30's reproduction fabrics ... this quilt is so cheerful ... a happy quilt!

"Her Majesty" had been making unhappy noises for a few weeks, so I knew she needed a tune-up.  On day two she finally sounded so bad, I decided to send her to the doctor.  Fortunately QBee Terry was going to Anchorage and could take her to her appointment and pick her up!  Am so grateful for Terry's willingness to serve as an escort ... life in a remote corner of the planet makes one appreciate the kindness of others.

Day three - I pulled out my small machine and began working on the full sized quilt.

Uh-oh!  Someone's up on the table!  "Her Majesty" blocked her view from the chair!

Another Terry Atkinson pattern from her book Happy Hour.  I chose the pattern to show off the fabrics in this fat quarter pack.  I refer to it as my Easter quilt ... love the pastel colors.

The long-arm quilter enhanced the simplicity of this design by quilting each square with a feathered border and than placed a wreath in the center.  The result is beautiful!

Finally the fifth quilt ... another "Fastest Jelly Roll" quilt!  This one is larger because it has borders.

I see ears have snuck up on the table ...

... the Supervisor ... she IS just fulfilling her job responsibilities!

Can you believe it?  I ran out of bobbin with only about 2 inches left!  I put the rotary cutter there for perspective.

Number five is finished!

The all over feather design in the quilt is perfect ... and I really like the way she finished the border!

It feels so good to have a binding bowl that is nearly empty.

Happiness is a tower of finished quilts with a kitty on top!  On the dining table of course!

Three days ... five tops that have been beautifully quilted ... miles of binding ... one gimpy sewing machine ... multiple bobbins ... friends who understand how important a healthy sewing machine is ... and a cute, but very sneaky kitty.  They all add up to dillydally euphoria!

Do what you love.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Hopping Down the Bunny Trail!

The calendar has announced the arrival of spring!  Mother Nature has a habit of not listening to the calendar ... but she has no control over what happens within the walls of DillyDallydom!  In my small home ... here in my remote corner of the planet ... spring arrives when the bunnies come out to play!

First to arrive ... some old friends ... wool peeps and eggs!

Want to arrange them differently this year ...

... I like to switch it up a bit ...

... the peeps and one egg found their temporary home ... rub-a-dub-dub some peeps in a tub!

These bunnies also came out to play!

A raw edge applique' chubby bunny ... I refer to her as my sophisticated bunny.  Doesn't she look like she is on her way to a victorian tea party?

Mr. Cottontail is a tinted embroidery bunny ... making his Easter egg deliveries.

These little wool bunnies are busy frolicking amongst Easter eggs and button flowers.  Bunnies  are just so dang sweet!

I came across a few other bunny friends that have been waiting to join the fun.  I began this project a few years some time ago ... everything was cut and fused in place.  Sew ... time to layer it and get it quilted!

They are part of McKenna Ryan's Forest Hollow design, which is actually "owl" themed.  I purchased this pattern for the bunnies ... I'd been looking for a rabbit wall quilt that wasn't necessarily "Easter" related.  This little wall quilt can hang from spring through summer ... well past the Easter holiday season.

It had been some time since I had done any raw edge applique' ... yep, it was scary!  It was a relief when my mojo somewhat returned.  Let's just say ... I will not be sharing any close up photos.  ;-)

The facial features were the biggest challenge for me ... I am not a natural at machine quilting and drawing ... thank heavens for FriXion pens.

Yay!  Binding is always a time to celebrate!

All done!  Two new bunnies to add to our Bunny Trail!

Mr. Chocolate bunny had been very lonely ... so they joined him!  Another PhD finished ... yep ... we are all doing a "Hoppy" dance here in DillyDallydom!

Do what you love.  Hop!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Spring Fever with a Hook!

Welcome Spring!

Mother Nature gifted us with a beautiful first day of spring ... yep, spring fever is an epidemic here in DillyDallydom!  I was so feverish that when I came across a video tutorial for a crochet flower bracelet ...

... I grabbed a hook and some yarn from my stash ... and gave it a try!  If you've been hanging around here you know that I have very limited crochet skills ... the tutorial was excellent ... making it easy for this beginner!

It is highly unlikely that I would wear the bracelet ... so I took the flower motif and made a garland instead.  Of course one garland led to another ...

... eventually there were three!  And here they are hanging out with some bunnies!  Happy Spring!

Do what you love.  Try something new!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally