Quilting Up A Storm!

This happened, as it often does.

This is the whole point of having a quilting machine - to get those tops quilted!

I have to admit I have never had a binding queue this long - I don't think EVER!

But I am happy as a clam, and loving how our Triple Treat Leader & Ender challenge is coming together.

To be honest I thought I was going to be one of the LAST ones to actually finish this challenge.

But the truth is we've got months to go - and there really isn't a deadline so jump in at any time.

Personally, I take a year-long Leader & Ender challenge to be just that.  

I build the units as Leaders & Enders in between the lines of chain-piecing other things.  And that could take months (And it does) to build enough units to get to the point when I can start putting blocks together.

Now, I'm not throwing shade on those who finish the whole project, quilting, binding label and all within 2 weeks of the challenge being released - that just shows that it became a primary project rather than a Leader & Ender and they were so excited that they couldn't wait to see it together.

Those folks give the rest of us the energy to continue and to help make choices along the way as we see theirs in shares through social media.

But for me it's a Leader & Ender and really doesn't have a deadline until the NEXT Leader & Ender is released the following July.

So if you are feeling left behind - don't!  There is still several months ahead, and really no deadline!

I put my top together on Sunday - thanks to my finding those two sandwich-sized baggies of four-patch pairs left from other projects.  

I know they were mine - because I know my scraps!  It was a quick job to chain the pairs, get them pressed and ready to go.

I also had enough of the block background pieces cut and ready - so it was me, an audio book, my machine and my iron and I spent a relaxing weekend finishing up my blocks and getting it together.

I love it!

The neutral chains up through the blocks did just what I wanted them to do.

The pressing worked out great, each seam automatically nesting with the next as blocks were sewn into rows and rows joined to each other - webbing at its best!

Many of my fabrics are 80s - 90s.  No shame there either.  It's just color and texture and variety.

Monday's backing building!

Yes - the Frankenbacking #stashbegone continues. this time I pulled some various sandy/taupes out of the use it up bin.  

Upper left - a Cranston print I loved back in the day.  It has little quilty stars on it.

Upper right - Another VIP print I remember purchasing yards of as a "flat fold" and it never went well with anything. The background was fairly yellowish and those pink flowers never worked well with whatever I wanted to match it with.

There is some of this fabric in the front too - It works now!

Lower Left - Pretty but too busy to be a "neutral" really unless you pair it with solids or tone on tones.  It's been in the stash since 1997, at least that was the date on the selvage.

Lower right - Another old Cranston - there was only 1/2 yard and I'm happy to see it gone.  The flowers are too far apart to cut this one small effectively.

But together in the back - that's at least 6 yards of #stashbegone.  Yippy!

I'm quilting it with Pinwheel 4 from UrbanElemantz.com. I made it about 3/4 the way by coming home time last evening.

Quilting somewhere in the middle -

I'm happy to be using this fabric up as backing!

It's not that I ever really hated it.  It was too dark to be light, too light to be dark, and it was a busy print.  That's all.

Red binding is already cut, sewn, pressed and waiting. That's today's to-do list.

What's on YOUR plate for today?

I posted about this last week, and I'm bringing it up again because the deadline to sign up is getting closer!

We are going to Vietnam May 1-10, 2023.

10-DAY VIETNAM ’23 PACKAGE INCLUDES:

• Round-trip international airfare from New York City to Hanoi.
• Transfers to/from the airport/hotel in Vietnam for full package guests.
• Delicious buffet breakfast served daily and special farewell dinner.
• A delicious welcome dinner, introductions, and orientation meeting.
• Private deluxe motor coach and professional driver the entire time. A professional Craftours escort throughout your entire journey.
• First-class hotel accommodations in Hanoi and Sapa. (Suite upgrades available)
• Overnight cruise sailing in Ha Long Bay onboard a “wooden junk vessel."
• A visit to the Temple of Literature.
• A tour of the Women's Museum and Craft Link Gallery in Hanoi.
• Panoramic city tour of Hanoi with a local professional guide.
• Traveling with me!

Yes! Spouses, friends, and others are welcome!

I look forward to meeting you and spending this amazing trip together.  Let's do this!

Thank you so MUCH for your positive comments regarding my newest PDF pattern Unchained.

The response has been WONDERFUL and that makes me so happy that you can't wait to dive in and make it, too.

Did you enter to win on The Gift-Away Post? I'll be drawing for 2 winners to each receive an Unchained PDF pattern from me.

Our 2 winners will also receive a Roy G. Biv Color Roll from Cotton to Quilts!

If you don't know what Roy G. Biv means (And I had to ask too!) It's an acronym for the order of the colors in the rainbow. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet!

This roll is the perfect color enhancement to round out your fabric stash.

Introductory Special Pricing:

I have placed the PDF pattern for Unchained at 25% off in both the Quiltville Store and the Quiltville Etsy Pattern Shop. No coupon needed!  Price discount good through 1/31/23.

Optional but helpful: I used the Simple Folded Corners or Simple Folded Corners Mini for the stitch & flip corners in Unchained.

And to sweeten the creativity:

I've cut the price on Winter Blues and Forever Mine 25% as well! NO COUPON!

But hurry - Winter blues is 25% off through 1/31/23.  Forever Mine pricing good through 2/14/23.

If purchasing through the Quiltville Store, check the "Featured items" at the bottom of the store front page.  Unchained, Winter Blues and Forever Mine are in that section for easy access.

If looking at the Quiltville Etsy Pattern Shop Winter Blues is a bit further down the shop page. Forever Mine and Unchained should be right there at the top since they are new listings for me in that shop.

Okay - time to hit publish and "Get the show on the road!" as my dad always used to say.

And then we three kids would reply "Let's get the TV on the road." which cracked us up greatly while dad just rolled his eyes.  Good times!

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

You can either settle and accept things the way they are, or step up to responsibility and make a change.

⁣

It's okay to start slowly. Just start!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!