Week in Review 2017 - 11/10

Forest Flora

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

Why is it that some of the most obvious, simple things elude me? When the light dawns, I feel shocked I had never thought of them before. So it was this week, when I was attaching my binding to Forest Flora. I must have bound well over 100 quilts by now. I know the trick to get perfect mitered corners and how to join the beginning tail with the ending tail, so you can't tell which seam is the join. I have been making my own continuous bias binding for years. So why, in my quest for the perfect binding method did it never occur to me to iron the bias binding towards the outside from the top of the quilt, the way you iron a facing strip before bringing it around to the back? I don't recall ever seeing this as a tip. It is going to be added to my lexicon of binding musts. It resulted in a wonderfully smooth, tight binding on the front side and allowed for a very even turn to the backside. Yes, this old dog can figure out and teach herself a new trick.

Forest Flora - the backside
Backs are a great way to use one's stash.

It is the delightful surprise of ah ha moments, which has me returning to the studio to create. They may not happen every week. They can't be predicted. Fortunately, they do happen frequently enough to lure me to my studio. 

This week I focused predominately on Forest Flora, but I also spent time on a few of the finishing tasks required for earlier works in progress as you can see:

1) Work on Forest Flora - Done!

I finished quilting Forest Flora. Then it was time to do those final necessary tasks to have it website and exhibition ready. Step 1, was squaring it. Step 2, was making and attaching the bias binding. All that is left are the hanging sleeve and label.

2) Finish Picking Up the Pieces #1 and #3, #4 - Worked on

I prepared sleeves for anything missing a sleeve. The sleeves are pinned to the artwork ready to be hand stitched into place.

Detail of the stitching on Forest Flora

3) Pot(s) made this week - Worked on

Each time I make and attach a bias binding, I refine my skill and this week I even managed to learn something knew. Proof positive of why making pots (doing something over and over again) is vital.

4) Free motion quilting practice - Done!

There was very little free motion quilting left to do on Forest Flora, but what there was, I did.

I am in need of feeling accomplished. Finishing WIPs (works in progress) is a great way to achieve this. So, next week I will focus on:

1) Finishing Forest Flora

2) Finish Picking Up the Pieces #1 and #3, #4

3) Pot(s) made this week

4) Free motion quilting practice

I am now linking up to two blogs on Fridays. The first is Nina Marie's Off the Wall Fridays and the second is Free Motion Mavericks.