Moving On From Quilting Mishaps -

I know I'm not alone in this.

I know I'm not the only one this has happened to.

But at the time I took this photo, I didn't even know what was waiting for me a mere 10 minutes ahead.

I was just merrily going along happily content with how the quilting on my Flame Azalea was turning out just as I had envisioned it.

Here I am, reaching the bottom edge.

Nice straight lines, everything looks grand, right?

The unfurling of the quilt coming off the machine is my favorite part.

And for those wondering, I quilted Flame Azalea in a light baby lotion pink colored thread (inspired by the blooming of my mountain rhodies!) in an edge-to-edge design called Calliope by Patricia E. Ritter.

I was excited to get the backing and batting margins trimmed off and the edges of the quilt straightened, corners squared so I could put on the label, binding, and hanging sleeve. 

(Yes, every big quilt automatically gets a hanging sleeve because you never know when you are going to need one and who wants to take time later to add one? Not me!)

I even had just enough of this orange to pink print I had been saving - just 1/2 yard - that would do the trick to finish the edge as binding.

And that's when I turned the quilt over to see this:

Click to Play:

There is a pleaty pucker. After suggestions I think I can just blind stitch that down and it will be less noticeable.

The railroad track back tension??

The quilt is pretty heavily quilted so I feel like that is anchored well and isn't going anywhere.

I know what happened...the bobbin thread had come out of the bobbin spring.  It happens.  Once I fixed that, the machine is sewing fine.

I went ahead and got the binding on.

And this battle I DID win...with not much to spare. (It's a good thing because this is all there was of that particular fabric.)

That gap where my seam allowance was too narrow and pulled out as I put tension on the backing between the rollers?

I think I'll be appliqueing the last of that binding end over the gap.

It all becomes part of the quilt's story -

And now you know you aren't the only one things like this happen to.

In the whole scheme of things, I think the worst thing that ever happened was when the needle broke while quilting, and it took a panicked moment to hit the off button, while in the mean time the broken shaft perforated and ripped the fabric both top and bottom and pushed a lot of batting through the puncture holes.

This?  Just a couple of problems with a misbehaving backing, and we can deal with that.

I saw this guy as I was walking past the new raised planter bed off the side porch at the inn...
"Not today, Satan, I've had enough issues to deal with today!"
No, really -these black snakes are the ones we love to see around, as long as they don't surprise us.  They keep the rodent population in check, and they keep copperheads from the creek away.
I just don't want them to surprise me.

At home, Ivy keeps watch for critters too!

She is always on the hunt.

Today??  Housekeeper Susan is here to make things shine.  The Pieceful Hearts gals arrive tomorrow and I am so excited to be back in the thick of things.

Today - a bit of studio clean up, and then I'll need to figure out what is next in the quilting queue!

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Why is There NO SUCH THING as Quiltaholics Anonymous? 

Because NO ONE Really Wants to Stop! 

This popped up in my Facebook memories from 12 Years ago.

We are still at it!

Have a terrific Tuesday, everyone!