Since Christmas Day, we can count the number of days with out sideways snotty rain on one hand. That kind of weather really makes our already short days darker ... but every dark cloud has a silver lining ... it is great weather to dillydally by!
Our sun sets around 4:45 now ... the sun rises about 9:00 ... the days are becoming noticeably longer! I took this picture yesterday ... Lake Eyak experiencing the sunset through rain! I love the colors as the evening blue approaches upon the last rays of light. Am so happy I didn't miss that moment!
Here in DillyDallydom ... the urge to finish something was recently in full swing! While going through piles a few things, I happened across three items that were waiting their turn to be quilted and bound. Immediately the idea of accomplishing three finishes before the end of January became a priority! We brought Her Majesty out of the sewing room ... took over the dining table ... and got this party started!
We began with the smallest project!
My Gingham Table Runner! I had pieced it last spring, and want it available to use this spring and summer!
Let's just say that Flicka was less than helpful ... but we were both very happy!
I admitted a long time ago that machine quilting is not one of my talents ... sew, I keep it very simple! I just used my walking foot and quilted 1/4 inched on each side of every seam.
The second project was a kit that I had bought during an impromptu shop hop trip in Washington. I purchased the kit at Ester's Fabrics on Bainbridge Island. It contains some unusual prints from France ... Valerie and I fell in love with them. I quilted it by doing a simple stitch in the ditch around each piece, then crossing each square and rectangle! Keeping it easy and letting the fabrics shine through!
Final project was a charm square quilt project that I had purchased a year ago while in Oregon building the DillyDally Trail!
Stitch in the ditch and straight through the rectangles! Flicka was intimately involved ... she really is such a quilt kitty!
All this quilting activity is usually limited to about 2 hours a day ... because an 8 month old puppy monopolizes most of my time. Yep, she pretty much dictates what kind of dillydallying happens at this point.
The goal everyday is ... how can I wear her out enough that she will nap for a couple of hours ... sew I can quilt! Good news is that she loves being wet ... nasty weather does not bother her! We go out in it everyday ... two hours of uninterrupted dillydallying is worth it!
Quilting done ... passed a close inspection ... time to cut binding!
Gingham ... done!
I spy a kitty ... this is helping?
By the third binding, the supervisor decided to shirk her duties and chose to be a mischief maker instead! Kitties are so silly!
After I finish binding quilts, I like to immediately wash and dry them! I love the look and feel of a quilt after it has been laundered ... soft and wrinkley! As is well known ... I love gingham ... and I look forward to using this table runner!
I'm calling this my "Gypsy" table topper ... so bright and fun!
This youth sized quilt is made with Basic Grey's Persimmon fabric collection. Soft colored fabrics looked a bit washed out in this photo, but I find it almost spa like ... very different look than the other two! It is so hard to take pictures this time of the year ... artificial light makes everything look yellow and bright daylight seem to wash everything out! I plan to use the first two personally and hope to donate the third one!
It felt so good to end the month with three finishes! I plan to spend the weekend making progress on other projects in progress ... it is wonderful to feel forward movement!
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| Friday, January 29, 2016 Sunset |
Do what you love. Do dillydally!
Mrs. DillyDally
