In a 'bind'?

Isn't it great when you have completed several projects all at once? Sure, except 'finish' is a relative term in quilting.... We finish the blocks, finish the tops and even finish with the quilting but it still is not finished until it has the binding finished (and a label!!) I'm 3 quilts, 1 vest, 1 jacket behind on my binding, just from last week!  Labeling all of these at once will make it a quick project, (I print them on fabric treated with Bubble Jet Set) & may be able to do all of these on one sheet!
The first is a 'bolero jacket'; I've had this 'See & Sew (Butterick)' pattern (#5085) for almost 20 years and finally made one. It was a little tricky since the shoulder seams are offset to the front - (note to self - don't forget to mark the dots!) so when you are setting the gathered sleeve you put the gathers in the right place the first time. This is a size 12 and the shoulders are a little tight getting into it but it fits me nicely. I think it will fit my Aunt, if not, then its a good thing it fits me! The photo looks like one arm is longer than the other but it is just the way one of the sleeves is folded over.

This vest is so simple, if anyone out there has never made a garment, any vest is a great first sewing project. 4 seams and a finish-binding in this case! The crosshatching was not the best choice for quilting this but I had a quilt on the frame and this was quick and easy at my 'sit down' machine. had to Git 'er done!

The flip flop quilt is for my grand daughter. The scrappy one - I was very brave and used RED thread to quilt. Every mistake jumps out but I kept telling myself it is a scrappy utility quilt, it's OK. I'm happy with it and will likely make it my new traveler. The last one is going to to my neighbor, who is a Vietnam Vet suffering the effects of agent orange. I think it will qualify as a QOV but have to check with those folks to confirm and document - it has a plain muslin back and the QOV folks want printed backs.

For my regular followers, I wanted to follow up with you on the vintage selvage quilt. I inadvertently left it hanging out on the porch rail after day 2 of letting it 'air'. Well, it rained overnight so when I looked out that morning and saw it, I ran water in the tub and added a little soap; rolled the quilt up and transported to the tub, unrolled and pressed into the water. Repeat 4 TIMES and rinse, and then gently rolled and pressed the water out. placed dry towels under and over, press and switch towels. I threw the original ones in the dryer and switched them again until I had most of the water out, enough so I could carry it back out to the porch rail and  then before night fell, I threw it in the dryer on the 'low heat' and tumbled it for about 20-30 minutes. She is fresh as a daisy and back in the bowels of quilt storage, until I find that teddy bear pattern....Great, another project to add to the 'list'. Today I have a fairy frost fabric quilt to load on the longarm and do a panto on. 4 quilts, a vest and a jacket to bind....

I have Nott fallen off the face of the earth!

but it likely seems that way from my blog. I apologize to my follower's, you deserve better so I will try to get back in the groove! I've been on a couple of road trips w/DH, reclaimed my sewing room and gotten the longarm back up (cut her back to 8') and tackled the very long list of UFO's or WIP's, whatever you like to call them. I actually made a list which for some reason was so daunting, like the quilt police are going to penalize me? While making a list may not seem like such a big deal to you, mine is a spreadsheet, columns A - O and about 35 lines deep, Phases 1 -3; 1 is a kit or project in the planning stages; 2 is broken down into quilt tops/panels/paper piecing/hand projects/other projects; 3 is the longarming, binding and labeling (binding is broken down into cut/attach/finish). I had to do it this way, it was far to alarming to put each item in a single column, that is heart attack material! This makes me some special personality type but I don't know which, if you know please tell me, unless you see schizophrenic tendencies. I don't need to know about that. Anyway, it is working for me cause I have finished 5 tops that only needed assembling and/or borders, quilted 1 and almost finished another on the longarm and  decorated this little denim skirt.

Two of the quilts were flip flop quilts, one I satin stitched, the other I used a short stitch length and left them raw edge. I think it will be cool once it is washed. These will be on the quilt frame soon as they will be fun and easy background fill mostly. I anxious to put the ribbons on, branching out into a whole new area - embelishment, which reminds me of my dolly dresses panel and the clown quilt I need to start.....

The other 3 tops are approx queen size, one is a gift for a special aunt, (it is all fairy frost and I have heard longarmer's don't like it so we'll see, fairly soon as it is a P1 on the spreadsheet). I'll surely post a pic when it is done. Right now, I'm in wearables mode and going to finish that jacket I started last year....