Monday, July 06, 2009

Bound to Bind

How did this happen...I am sooo far behind in binding quilts it is making me crazy! Two boxes from Bonnie, one from , and two quilts from the LQS did make a dent in my top pile but now has my binding shelf overflowing....Granted binding is my least favorite part of quilting (followed closely by putting on the sleeve...) I guess my heart is in starting projects not finishing. That said I now am at an all time bottleneck and spent the weekend scrounging through the fabric piles for binding that I so diligently made when I finished the quiltop (never located), fabric to make bindings for each of the quilttops (successful for all but one) and making a quick trip to the fabric store for some plain red (to make my Dh happy for his Red, White and Blue...note how his quilt is the most work....just another High Maintenance Moment.)

The cats are not helping...the moment a quilt appears Brownie claims it as her own. Decoys don't work either (I tried putting an old quit on the recliner for her to lay on - only lasted eight stitches...maybe that is a new way of telling time "cat stitches" equate to about 10 seconds vs a normal stitch which is only 4-5....I digress....)

I am trying to get the heavy stuff done this week. For heavy stuff read getting the binding stitched down by machine so only the hand work is left. I may have surgery next week so this will let me have lots of ready work at standby that doesn't take lots of concentration.
So what makes up this pile of misery.....First is the Log Cabin King which need less than one side stitched down, a sleeve and the label - this one is very, very close. Next is my DH's Red, White and Blue which has the binding made...now if I could distract Brownie this would have a chance of being finished. My Double Delight is quilted...I love this quilt...I have cut the binding strips. The 30's trip around the world is becoming a favorite and will use up some small pieces of 30's fabrics I have left over for a strippy binding. The MS blues is very fun and will have a dark blue border using three fabrics. Vintage Teddington/English Rose is a sampler quilt and will have a striped brown and pink binding. Crumbly ChurnDash is ready and will use binding crumbs - re leftovers from the other 8 quilts.

I will post photos of a few of these tomorrow...

I am acually glad I have a lot to keep me busy. I am usually a bit of a news hound and leave CNN/Fox/MSNBC (pretty nondescriminate in my news...there are only a few commentators I refuse to have on the TV.) The last few days however I have only watched tennis and old movies...I can't handle another Michael Jackson report. Sorry...I liked his music but please....

13 comments:

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I am so with you on the "news" I am so sick of hearing all about Michael Jackson - I liked his music but enough already the same goes for Jon and Kate, and whoever else is the "it" thing right now. More and more it seems that "hard news" is not news any more but the things tabloids are made of. I really think Charlie Gibson and the rest of the gang should be rebelling and say enough already.
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/

*karendianne. said...

I read this post outloud just so I could really get the full impact of it. I was laughing so hard I couldn't help myself.

I luv your attitude towards life, your view of it and just the person you are. I had to take a breath reading through all those quilts and I guess I laughed the hardest when I thought I'm far behind in number but very close in habit. I related. Like minds...

And last but not least I had to love all over Goldie and Brownie. You know my thoughts of love are overflowing there. Priorities being what they are.

Now listen, on that surgery deal, I hope to hear something. I wont go so far as to pray though to hear something though. Too much pressure there! But I personally may hang out the window. I'm just sayin'...

sewprimitive karen said...

Why won't they stop covering Michael Jackson? I've been a news addict for several years, too, and had to stop listening/recording my shows. Wow, you have quite a To Do pile for binding, too, but you're doing great on attacking it. Hope no surgery. LOVE the decoy thing even though it didn't work :-).

cockermom said...

No Kidding on that King of Pop thing...I spend my time in the sewing room these days with the TV off. (actually I am finding that I get more work done that way :)

Ali Honey said...

I also agree about some news readers and MJ! Enough!

I think maybe we all like the starting better than the finishing!
With the quilt I am working on I have put the binding on and hand stitched it down BEFORE I have completed the quilting ( you have to know you have finished the edges. ) I did it cause the batting was getting on the black and getting sewn in the stitches I was machine quilting on the black. So when I think that is enough quilting stop now - the quilt is done! ( except for a label)

Julie in the Barn said...

Oh yeah, I'm with you on the fed-up with tabloid news thing. Now Sarah Palan has taken over the limelight from Michael! I'm so not interested. Music from Sirius is my solution.

I actually love binding quilts. If we lived closer I'd trade you binding duty for basting duty. I hate that chore.

KimP said...

I completely understand on the binding thing - one of my least favorite. Recently, I tried Judy Laquidara's method for doing the binding completely by machine. You can check out her blog (I think she posted a video of it around June 5th) or I have a link to it on my blog.

I am completely with you on the MJ saga - I am sorry he died, but it is all MJ all the time. This is no longer news - just prurient interest in the nasty details of someone's private life. I, too, have found that I get more sewing done when the tv is off. Of course, if I don't care how much I am getting done, I leave the Wimbledon tennis coverage on!

Hope all goes well for you!

Loris said...

Wow, you have got some good work accomplished already to have that many quilts to bind. I wish I could help with getting the bindings on for you too. It isn't my favorite task but I do like the handstitching so I just think about the next step while I'm doing it.
Those cute cats of yours are like mine. Always better to choose 'fresh' fabric.

Sew Create It - Jane said...

I don't like the binding part either and it's something I can only manage in front of the tv at night when there is nothing else to do :o)

Hope your surgery isn't too serious and that it goes well when the time comes.

Tammy said...

Cats can be so helpful - or so they'd like to think. I'm with you when it comes to binding I'm not excited about doing it. I agree with all the media coverage of MJ, I feel sorry for his children, but enough already. I hope your surgery goes well and it's not to long of a recovery. Take care of yourself.

Tonya Ricucci said...

wheee, look at you getting so much done. and look at sweet kitties. brownie looks so innocent and sweet. Obviously nothing important has happened in the world lately because otherwise they'd never devote this much news to Jackson's death. ha, I wish. At least the Tour de France is on now.

Mary Johnson said...

I've got a lot of binding waiting for me too -- 8 or 9 quilts I think but most of them are lap size. I meant to get one binding stitched on today but forgot that was the plan...maybe I'll go do a small one right now!

sewkalico said...

Surgery?? I don't like the sound of that! I did, however very much like/LOVE your Double Delight so look forward o seeing it bound! And I am pleased your DH's quilt is almost out of you hair ;-)