Rainy Days & Binding -

Yes, I'll take the rain over snow any day.

It was a wonderful sound on the metal roof overhead when the rain started to fall early this morning.

I snuggled back down beneath the quilts and let sleep take me deeper -

I didn't throw back the covers and put my feet on the floor until 8am.  That's late for me!

But this is what the holiday slow-down brings - and it is a gift to me!

When we last left off before yesterday's Indigo Way Mystery Part Three I was sharing the quilting of the string quilt that has been my focus since Thanksgiving week. Click back to that post HERE.

There were loads of comments about the fabrics in my backing - so here you go:

Due to the length of the quilt, and the way the sections of backing fabrics worked, I mounted this quilt head first instead of side ways as the sections are going across the quilt from side to side instead of top to bottom, the way I usually shoot for.

It all had to deal with the best use of the fabric.

This photo shows some of my candidates - bigger prints that I find hard to use, even though I love them, and some that fit that "what color is this anyway?" as they all have black backgrounds, but rainbow colored prints that don't always leave the fabric reading as black.

In fact - when stepping back, there are some fabrics that don't read black at all.

This is likely why they have been in the stash for so long, no matter how I liked the print!

I had miles of an old Mary Engelbreit rose print - the background is black with white polka dots.

Next to that is a gifted piece from a quilt back - iris, azaleas and blue birds.  

Then a un one - it's happy smiling radishes on black. Then a modern white/red flower on black - this one was a hard to cut one - because what color is it when you try to cut it into pieces? It read as white - but not really.  And it definitely didn't read as black.

Following that is the other half of the Mary Engelbreit print -

The last two columns - gorgeous rainbow heart medallions - and the rest of the smiley radishes.

More than 9 yards were used with purpose in this scrappy backing.  That's a win for me!

The afternoon sun was shining just right through the windows as I trimmed away the excess backing and batting, squaring up the edges and corners of the quilt to get it ready for binding.

I love how the quilting texture stands out - this was a fun one called Bread Basket and I'll definitely use it again.

I wanted a quilt that wasn't quilted so heavily as to have no warmth at all - this did the job beautifully.

What a beast to bind!!

You want to talk about quilt wrestling?  This heavy quilt was supported by my ironing board set to table height to the left of my machine.

It was still a lot of sew a little, stop to rearrange, sew a bit more, stop to adjust.  

Binding in progress -

Anyone else drawn deep into The Spanish Queen on Starz?? It's been my solo guilty pleasure when The Hubster is out for corn hole night or archery.

I've completed 2 sides.

I think it's a safe bet with the rainy weather that I'll be finishing this by the end of the weekend and it will be ON the bed for more dreaming.

This aqua binding?  I have no idea how long its been in the stash, but if I'm guessing right it was a Joann's purchase to finish up some donation quilts - and that is pre-2008 from when I was living in Irmo, SC.

I have just a couple of strips left over - into the Scrap User's System they go for a future project.

But now?

The trimmings of backings had me putting  strips into the black string bin, and before I knew it -

Just one while watching The Crown on Netflix?

Okay. Now there are three.  LOL!

I'll be setting this aside to percolate while I get back to my Cardinal inspired blocks - but this was perfect for yesterday's feeling brain dead after the past week.

Sometimes all I can do is "sew on the line" because everything else is just too much.

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

How often are our perceptions formed by what someone else has said?

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The only opinion that really matters is your own, based on your own experience.

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Have a blissful weekend everyone!