WIPs With Friends

I was busy, busy BUSY over the weekend!  I have loads to share with you all.

I got 2 count them 2 quilts back from my fabulous long arm quilter, Kathy, at Thread Bear Quilting.  The first one is the baby Big Foot quilt.  

I had to put away the fishies to work on binding this one.  T

he baby is due any minute now so I need to have it trimmed and bound.

I chose an aqua and white stripe binding for this one.  

The aqua matched the chest and face on the Yeti that is on the back.  

I did get it all sewn on and turned and glue basted in place. 

 I even managed to stitch about 1/4 of the way by hand too.  

I will take a photo of the whole quilt once I get the binding finished.

The other quilt that I got back is the Hallowedding quilt!!!  

As you can see Hallie (short for Halloween) claimed it for her own!  

This while I was trying to sew on the binding.

I will show some close ups once I can gift it.

The groom is working out of state for awhile so not sure when that will be.

Maybe a few sneak peeks though!

I had a friend ask me about what did I mean "glue basted" the binding. 

 I use Elmer's School glue 

(it's washable)

 and put a thin line between the stitch line and the raw edge of the quilt.  

Then I carefully turn the binding until the fold is just over the stitching line 

and using my iron, press it into place.  

This allows me to take the quilt anywhere and bind and not have to worry about pins. 

 It is also MUCH easier on my hands not to have to hold it in place while it stitch 

(or have pins or clips in my way)

The quilting detail is amazing on this (Thank you Kathy!)  Again, Hal thought this was hers!

I managed to get my 4 bee blocks done too.  

I did work on another chenille blanket and some burp cloths but since the baby shower is this upcoming Saturday, I won't show these until after the shower.

I will link up with Sew Fresh Quilts Let's Bee Social

Now it's your turn. 

 Show me what you are working on! 

 Please link up using the blue Inlinkz button.

Don't forget to share on social media using #WIPsWithFriends and link back to this post!

~XOP~

An InLinkz Link-up

I Carry Your Heart In Mine

I want to thank you all for being so kind about my Autumn cat crossing over to the rainbow bridge.  Your words of comfort were so wonderful.  

It is never easy to send a furry family member on the next leg of their journey, as many of you know from first hand experience as well. 

 I saw this and was comforted by it and thought I would share it with you all.

As many of you know that follow me this was my beloved Autumn.  

She was always in my sewing room with me, frequently with her tail very close to the needle. 

 She would often lay her head so close the fabric would go over her head as I sewed. 

 She just wanted to be near me.  

I like to think that she is in an angel's lab giving them some joy!

Interestingly my other calico, Hallie has taken up the hat of sewing room companion! 

 I was working on my Ocean Waves quilt this weekend and got up. 

 When I cam back 

she was resting her head on the pieces I was sewing while they were under the needle!

Remember the Bigfoot baby quilt I was making with my friends?  

Well, there were a few extra trees.  

Which led to an extra Bigfoot being created. 

 I decided to make them into a wall hanging but it looked kind of bare 

so I wanted to embroider something on it.  

I decided to add the quote,

"I carry your heart in mine"  

I guess this is how I have been feeling about all the cats I have lost.  

I will always carry their hearts in mine. 

 Just as the new mom will carry her baby's heart in hers.  

I did the quilting on this too.  Not sure you can tell but I put a heart in a heart on the Bigfoot. 

I quilted her in a grid using masking tape for the line work.

I am especially happy with how the tree turned out with those additional triangles being made.

Here is the whole top with the binding on it.

This is the back.  I put those triangles into the binding so the quilt can be hung on the wall.

That's pretty much what I was up to this past weekend.  How about you?

~XOP~