Extra friendly border

There was some curiosity about how I would correct the tucks on this quilt so I thought I'd show you.  This is what the border looked like before.  There is a full two inches of extra fullness in the border along this side.  Usually I can quilt a design that makes all the extra fullness nearly unnoticeable but not with this quilt. 

As you can see there are some really deep tucks in there and lots of wrinkles.  Why didn't I remove the border and fix it?  Why didn't I give it back to be fixed by the owner?  Well, it's always been my policy to quilt the quilt in the condition it's brought to me.  If its wrinkled, it gets quilted wrinkled.  If the seams are coming apart they are quilted that way.  If it has lots of fullness, it is quilted anyway.  It's not my job to remake a customer's quilt unless I'm paid to do so.  If they are happy with the way it's made then I'm happy to quilt it just "as it is" when it's left with me. 

Here, I've flipped the quilt around on the machine.  I have my zipper leaders set up so I can do this.  The ending edge becomes the beginning edge.  The left side is now on the right side because I'm right handed and it's easier to work on it from the right.  I lift up and pull on the top with my left hand then cut the threads from inside between the top and the batting using my right hand.  I use a seam ripper for this.  It's much easier than picking out one stitch at a time from the front.

My thoughts are.... if it absolutely must have a tuck, then it should be a tuck that's less noticeable.  I fold the fabric and sew it down like this.  This way it looks like a seam in the border rather than a quilter's mistake.  I did remove the seam on the right after I took this photo and made it look a little better.  It now looks like the one on the left.  See how it looks like a seam?  I used the quilting machine and sewed right at the edge of the fold with mono thread.  The seam line will show on the back of the quilt but most people with wonky quilts don't care about the back. 

I was asked once why I don't refuse to quilt the ones with issues like this one.  It's like this, about 90 to 95 percent of the tops I see are quilts with an issue or two.  If I refused to quilt all of those, then were would my income come from?  After enough refusals, my reputation as a quilter would soon come into question.  Several of my customers are handicapped so making any quilt top is quite an achievement for them.  I am not a quilt critic nor a quilt judge so I'm not qualified to say what should make the topper happy unless I'm teaching a class.  I treat every quilt that comes into my house as if it's "the next big quilt show winner" and its my job to do the best quilting on it that I am able.... no matter how it's actually made.  After all, someone put their heart into creating the quilt and someone is gonna love it when finished.   Now there's only one thing left to do and that's to go back to the place where the stitching ends and do the design over again.

Here is the area stitched again.  It's not perfect but certainly looks much better than it did before.

I will flip the quilt back around the way it should be to finish the rest of the quilting.  This one may not get it done for a few more days.  Yard work still to be done.  Planting time is getting here too quick.

I hope blogger acts right today. I'm still working on this quilt. I thought I would show you what I'm doing in the alternate blocks. I was wrong yesterday when I said these were 8 inch blocks. They are actually 9 inch blocks. I didn't realize it until I looked at these.

This is all freehand. I got about half way through the quilt before calling it a day. If I can finish this one today; I can put an easy quilt on for a change of pace before moving on to the next intricate one.

I'm hoping to use my weekend for doing some work away from the machine. I have the binding to do on a couple of quilts. Repairs to do on a vintage top. A drawing to do for guild challenge. Some fabrics to fold and put away. That sort of thing. I need to finish these up and call the owners so I can make room in my studio.

It dawned on me a few days ago that I don't have any leader and ender pieces near my domestic machine. I can't have that!! Leader and ender pieces are how I create charity quilts. Yes, I've got to get organized and cut some leader and ender pieces. Hmmm... it also occurs to me that I haven't had a weekend for ME in quite a while. I guess it's time I had myself an "in home retreat" to do a litte planning and cutting of fabrics. I'll have my sister in law to come over to keep me company. She hasn't been here in several months. She needs to do a little planning too.

Ok, it's settled, a weekend in home retreat it is.

Time for me to get to work... it's not the weekend yet.

What has stocking up on groceries got to do with quilting?

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I'll explain in a minute...but first, I have to ask, has anyone on the blog ring heard from "Seams to an end" Karen? Did she make it through the fires ok? I sent a comment through her blog asking but haven't heard back from her.

This is today's finished quilt. This quilt just seemed to say it needed simple quilting.


A close up of the quilting. I used the Circle Lord crosshatching template in the piecing. A simple freehand scallop along the border.


Yesterday was a day to stock up on groceries.



I leave them in the front room until I can put them all away. That will be done as soon as I finish the blogging for today. What has stocking up on groceries got to do with quilting?



Hmm... its like this...if I'm not worried about what's for dinner, I can keep on quilting.

This represents about 6 months worth of staples. It's part of my time scheduling strategy.....to get the maximum amount of work completed in the least amount of time.

As anyone knows, shopping takes time. I want to save time by shopping for 3 hours one time every 6 months instead of one hour once a week, or twice a month, or whatever time most people shop these days. The cost of gas is a factor too. The fewer times going to pick up a few items at the grocery, the less gas used. I don't have a car but my daughter takes me. It's still gas used. (by the way, gas was at $3.29 a gallon for regular yesterday)

I spent a little less than $150 for everything that should last a good long time. Last time I shopped for the same items it was a little less than $100. I can see the cost of gas effecting everything already. On average my eating had cost me about $3 a week. I can tell right now that it will change to about $5 based on what I spent.

My daughter will pick up eggs and milk for me when she is headed this way. I don't usually get fresh vegetables or fruits unless a customer feels like giving me an apple or an orange as a gift. (a banana is an extra special treat) My veggies and fruit are in a can or in the freezer. If I had a garden, I would can my own veggies....canned is good.

I did pick up some fresh mushrooms, broccoli, and cauliflower from the discount table. I couldn't find anything wrong with them except a dark spot here and there. Those will be put into the freezer.

I sometimes go to the grocery after my guild meeting once a month. I have someone drop me off right around the corner and my daughter picks me up there later. I only look for items that are on the discount table. Anything I can put into the freezer. Somethings I get lucky and there are bananas there. Most people are spoiled to blemish free fruits and veggies. I'm not. Very few things come from a home garden blemish free. A cut here and there and the blemish is gone.

So that's what stocking up on groceries have to do with quilting. It's just one less thing to worry about as I concentrate on getting organized, staying organized, and staying ahead of the waiting list.

I'm off to start putting away groceries. It will take time to prepare the stuff for the freezer. I may not get back to the quilting machine today. We shall see....