Sunday, October 11, 2020

Tying loose ends...

 Does anyone NOT have an unfinished project somewhere in their home? 

Total confession here, I have quilt blocks which were sewn in 2009/10/11 that are still sitting in my sewing room patiently waiting for me to decide how to put them together, plus I have a wall quilt which I made very quickly (because I loved it!) back in 2018 and yet has never been quilted or bound. They are two loose ends I'd like to tie up before this year draws to a close. 

But first I had to complete that sweet scrappy hexie table runner I began a couple of months ago. It's been hanging over one of the dining chairs since August (you can see how and why I began this project HERE) and yesterday I made it my mission after lunch to add the binding, hand quilt and wash before sunset. 

Because the hexies had been made from lots of different scrap pieces I thought a scrappy binding would be the best finish, so rummaging again through more scraps I joined many lengths together until there was enough to go around...




Do you use binding clips? They were a game changer for me when I first bought them about five years ago. No more hair slides or pins needed...I love these little pink clips!



Once the binding was attached I hand quilted just inside the edge of the binding...



...and then around the hexie centre.



I had hand quilted alongside the hexies before adding the binding, but left these last two bits of quilting (1/4 inch inside the outer edge and 1/4 inch outside the hexies) until after the binding was attached and hand stitched down at the back. 

Here it is finished after being washed on a gentle cycle and hung in the sunshine to dry...




I love the raised textured feel of anything hand quilted after it's been washed!





I'd really like to get started on completing one of my other UFOs today but fact is I have more loose ends which need tying up over following days and if yesterday's table runner finish taught me anything it's that the sense of satisfaction and contentment you feel after bringing a project to it's conclusion can motivate you to begin tying up other loose ends as well - whether that be unanswered emails, a neglected bible study, cooking what's in your fridge before it expires, sewing on a few lost buttons, cleaning out the bathroom cabinet, finishing a small quilt - or in my case this week, writing patterns and decluttering my workspace in order to begin fresh as soon as possible with the next stage of what God has called me to do. 

If you've got some loose ends to tie within your own life and need some motivation why not begin with a small unfinished sewing, embroidery, papercraft, painting, baking, knitting, crochet or other crafty project? The sense of satisfaction afterwards is better than chocolate! Almost. Ha ha!

As you know, Blossom is quite a way along in her third pregnancy now, only 8-9 weeks until her little baby boy is due and as he's quite a large lad already and she has a number of health issues the doctor may welcome him into the world a couple of weeks early. So you can understand that her already limited 'free' hours of sewing (with a 2 and 4 yo in tow) shall soon draw to a close. She decided to have one last burst of creativity before bub arrives and has been making some more of those adorable cotton romper sets for her Etsy Shop.
We're heading in to another hot summer here in Australia so these would make perfect gifts for those dear littlies in your life if you're like me and don't sew clothes...






She's hoping to get a few more in there very soon before closing down for a long while.
If you're interested she will post worldwide so pop over HERE to see what's left on her shelves.

Okay, that's it for me today as I have a desk to declutter, wash, and reorganise. Oh, I do get excited about a sparkling clean white desk and a pot of fresh blooms on it. And of course, before I even begin tying that loose end there's lunch to prepare for my beloved. Think we'll feast on more of those delicious French Chicken Salad sandwiches (recipe here)...

Tell me, what loose ends do you need to tie? What will you begin with?

Biggest hugs



18 comments:

Anorina @SameliasMum said...

A perfect scrappy binding to complete your lovely table runner project.
My best wishes to your baby girl in these last few weeks of pregnancy. So exciting for you to have a new baby to cuddle with very soon xx

Kay said...

I do love a good scrappy binding, I always keep my binding pieces so they can be used at a later date. Oh, yes, I certainly have a few things in my sewing and cross stitch area that need finishing, sometimes I fall out of love while making them and put them away for a rainy day. Now we are in the run up to Christmas I need to be thinking about what I am going to make for a few people too. Have a good week. x

Lin said...

Pretty finish Jenny and I love a scrappy binding. And yes, nothing nicer than the feel of freshly washed quilting. Lots of UFO's around here waiting for one day! Such pretty things that Blossom makes - I have a little boy to buy for so not suitable unfortunately.
xx

Erica said...

Your hexie runner is gorgeous. My loose ends are packing up to move this month end. Oh why do the creative juices always flow when we can't do anything about them!? So I have a notebook on hand to jot them down as otherwise I forget!!
Thanks for this time spent with you, always a pleasure!

Joanne said...

Hi Jenny,
Loose ends...the mending pile! When that is worked on and dissapears feels quite good, and it really didn't take that long after all :) Finishing a block before the next block comes out is a great motivator.
Working on Laugh everyday, Dream in colour, always hope and Cherish yourself stitcheries.
Love using clips ! Your hexi project turned out beautiful ! Hanging in the sun to dry, I can almost feel it from here :)
Enjoy working on your plans for the rest of 2020 and 2021 !
hugs and take care to you and your family,
Joanne

Ondrea said...

I looooooove your hexie runner! The scrappy binding is perfect. I did a scrappy binding to finish a quilt during lockdown through necessity but I am rather hooked on scrappy bindings now. Your quilting is lovely as always. Blossoms little outfits are gorgeous. I use little clips to hold binding down...the little coloured butterfly type ones.

Farm Quilter said...

My big loose end is to finish going through my dad's home, packing crates for two of my daughters and myself. Then I need to figure out what to do with the rest of my parent's things and sell the house. Totally overwhelming, especially since surgeries and depression have stolen my energy. I try to pack one crate/box a day, but I don't always make that goal. Your quilt is beautiful as are Blossom's rompers. Babies coming is definitely something to cheer us up...I have two step-daughters who are going to be blessing our family with littles in January and February! I haven't even met their older daughters yet!

Anonymous said...

I love your idea of handquilting next to the binding. Nice finishing touch. I'll have to remember it. Thanks for sharing.
Kathleen - kakingsbury at verizon dot net

Tammy said...

Oh Jenny love your runner. I knew it was gonna be gorgeous. But this blows me away. Love it so much. The hand quilting really showcases those hexi and the binding really brings it all together....Loose ends....I have let so much go undone around here for so long. I have so much to clean and go through and pack away that needs doing in my closet and sewing room which is the resident junkroom and where all daughters college things get stored as well. This is her last year at University so hoping after she graduates in the Spring and gets a job for teaching next year I will be able to reclaim my sewing room all for myself again. And after that I will find the UFO's and get to work on them. in the meantime once I'm healed up from this back surgery I have got to get with it and get this place deep cleaned for sure and everything reorganized. I also need to find my hexi's I used to work on that is lost in the sewing/ junk room abyss. Maybe I should make a runner from them.

Joy said...

Yes, I do have unfinished projects! I had to laugh about that. A big one is making a quilt for my grand daughter for Christmas, I do have the top finished. And then there's that fabric that is just too awesome to cut into... I like your scrappy binding, I do that too. It's such a thrifty way to use up scraps and I think it is fun. I admit, I still use the straight pins on my binding, but I think I'll break down and buy the clips.

Christine M said...

Your table runner is so pretty. The scrappy binding looks great. I'm planning to do that with my hexagon quilt. Have a lovely week, Jenny. xxx

Winifred said...

That is such a pretty table centre. I have lots of unfinished things. I tides my old airing cupboard out and pulled out some cross stitch pieces, three nearly finished from years ago & two not even started.
There's aChristmas card holder I'm almost finished, sets of baby clothes for a charity which need the hats to finish them, crochet cat cushions for my daughter, one finished another to go, a hexagon table centre half finished, and I'm sure I'll fins more in the baskets in the sewing room. I think I'm a bit of a butterfly flitting about from one thing to another. A new idea just pops into my head and off I go.
Glad Blossom is doing OK she must be tired sewing and looking after two little ones bless her. Her baby clothes are really pretty.
We've had a wonderful summer and now a really nice autumn just as well with the problems everyone has had this year. Luckily I'm not a sun worshipper so I don't mind winter but I do love the long light summer evenings. Take care Jenny.

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

I used my Clover clips today as I finished the binding on a quilt. Your hexie runner is cute. I have quite a few UFO's, but have been working on one from 2013.

KingsailK said...

I love it!wish I could do that!Mary Lou

iowatallgirl said...

Oh Jenny,
You are such an inspiration. Your blog is 1 of about only 5 that I read faithfully. I so appreciate your love for God and encouragement you provide us. I wish I could take hand quilting lessons from you.That will be difficult to do even if you offered classes as I live in the middle of the U.S. It would be quite a long flight to your place just to learn to hand quilt! Your stitches are so lovely. Do you have a tutorial in your blog that I could look at to learn to hand quilt?
I'm so afraid to hand quilt anything. I guess I just need to dive in and not worry about the final product, eh? I guess it's my fear of failing that sometimes hinders me from starting anything. Or, if I do start something and it doesn't look as good as I think it should, it goes in the 'time out bin' as we call it - ha!
Jenny, I just want you to know I admire all you accomplish, your simplicity for life, and tenacity in the face of health challenges. Thank you for all of your encouragement.
Brenda

Susan said...

it is very satisfying to finish off those UFOs - BUT I ahev one that I started in 1990...a Baltimore - so much more than an afternoons work . . .not even sure I like it anymore - so it just sits . . .LOL . . maybe one day.

good Luck to Blossom...how exciting for you all.

Jenny of Elefantz said...

Hi Brenda :-)
There's no right or wrong way to hand quilt...choose a nice sharp needle and thread (I use a Perle 12 cotton) and slowly in and out with little, medium or big stitches - whatever feels right for you. :-)

Susan said...

Loose ends ... mine go back as far as 30 years ... maybe more in one case, at least. I get a few done or moved along now and then, but I'm not worried about it. Either they'll get finished by me, or someone will be so happy to have them when I'm gone. =) I've finished a few of my best friend's, so I know what it will feel like for someone else. I'm praying for Blossom to be healthy and the baby, too. I don't know how she gets anything done with the girls, good as they are. What I do miss is the stitching I haven't been doing. I am going to take some on a trip with me in November. I'll be sitting in hospital waiting rooms and recovery rooms with a friend, so I know I'll have some time to be productive.