One-woman North Pole...

or so I'm beginning to feel. I'm normally a one-project-at-a-time girl, but the handmade gift-giving piles are adding up...9 projects going...and potentially a few more. Thank goodness I started early. So, without further ado...

I can check one off the list...a quilt for Catherine.



I bought this inexpensive die-cut quilt kit four years ago, when I was still working on my first quilt. I sewed some of it, then lost all interest. The nieces and nephews are each getting a quilt this year, so I pulled out the old kit to see what could be done. The rows were about half-finished for a lap-size quilt and I thought, "What the heck, I'll finished it up and see if I like it (and I do)." The fabrics aren't ones I would choose today - some poly/cotton blend - but they are the colors of Catherine's room last time I visited. I knew the whole thing still had promise when I decided to leave the edges jagged.



The binding is a white and pink polka dot print which I LOVE against the pink Moda Bella backing. For the jagged edge, I used quiltville's binding instructions for the inside angles. I also followed her advice and sewed my binding ends together instead of lapping end over end. It was easier than I feared and I'll be practicing it from now on. I handstitched the back with hot pink thread. I really like how the stitching stands out from the fabric, just as in this quilt.

I do have a question for other quilters out there - My bindings usually crinkle up a lot after a wash (see below) and I'm not sure if that's normal or if I should make my bindings tighter? I've been using 2.5" single-fold strips with a 1/4 - 3/8" seam allowance.



Finally, I have about 20 triangles of each color left over and I will gladly give them to the first person who claims them. You might be able to make a doll quilt or give them to a learning quilter for practice. Just leave me a comment that you want them along with your email address and I'll be in touch.