One More Border, Please!

I couldn't do it.

I couldn't leave the Winter Cardinal top as it was - it needed some intense color outside of the pieced geese border - it couldn't just fade out into nothing.

It needed something to contain it all.  

It needed something deep and rich, and I started pulling options. (Yes, there is a pile now to be re-stashed but I'll get to it.)

Normally I love a quilt that ends with a pieced border and just needs a good strong binding to say "That's it.  I'm done."  But not this one.

Two options are shown above.

And I chose this one.

Why was this in the stash so long?  It's a fairly large print, and it is not only directional in that it has a stripey look to it, but all of the motifs face only one way.

I made sure all of the "round tops" of the motifs were all facing out from the center of the quilt like clamshells.

I think I can call it done now - but what about a backing?

The LAST backing of 2023!

I have fabric stash I love.  And I have fabric stash that is "lesser-loved" some of which resides in bins in the inn's garage/shop because I don't have room for it in the studio.

When moving everything up here from Wallburg, NC I combed through everything, relegating the "lesser-loved" pieces to be used as scrappy backings.

There is a LOT that I feel this way about.  Mostly it's things that are directional and harder to use with my love of small piecing.

Some of this stash I inherited from other quilters -

That piece on the far left? I'm not sure what the pattern is.  Is it ears? Is it just fur? At any rate - it's going in this backing!

And that piece of yardage that looks like dirty Santa beards? Definitely directional and weird.  It's gone too! LOL!

Close up of all 5 pieces.

Like I said - I don't know WHAT that bottom right piece is supposed to be. Maybe just a texture. But it's weird. And it's now out of the stash. Hooray.

All in all - it will do.

And it's definitely one of a kind.

Meanwhile at the inn -

There is a bathroom counter top refinishing project in full swing thanks to Son Jeff and Hubster Dave.

They removed the counter tops and took them to the garage for sanding. (THANK YOU!!! Much less mess to clean!) 

The sink and faucet holes look like screaming faces.

LOL!

Open wide and say ahhh!

(Once you see it you can't unsee it)

Marine varnish? Yes please. And everything can dry and seal in the garage, and all of the smells can dissipate before needing to be reinstalled in the bathrooms.

These guys are my everything. I couldn't do any of this without them.

While all of this is being one they are also reaming out the pipes to catch all of the residual hair clogs that made it past the hair-catcher chains we placed down the drains for that purpose. Shower drains too.

Ahhh, the life of an innkeeper!

Everyone thinks about how fun it would be to have a retreat place, but no one stops to think of hair clogs and stopped up toilets and leaking washing machines - or oven doors that won't close because someone sprung the hinges by putting too much weight on the oven door.

All of that and more - and I wouldn't change it for the world.

Today we are meeting with a guy to see about getting the sewing room floor refinished with a sturdy gym type coating - it's got to be sturdier to handle all of the traffic and rolling chairs.  You know - like your old high school gym.  That floor takes a beating and we've beat it to death.

And  haircut!  I leave for New Zealand in about 2 weeks, and it's the 2 weeks past hair cut mark that hair looks the best. LOL!

If I get time - in between finishing up Part Six of Indigo Way I'll see about getting Winter Cardinal loaded and the quilting started.

It would be great to be binding the old year out and binding the new year in.

What are your plans for this Thursday?

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Dang it!

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Stop with the judging already.

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I'm sewing it up as fast as I can!

Have a terrific Thursday, everyone!