A Rainbow Scrap Finish

FINALLY.  Exploding Boxes is a finished quilt!  Excuse me while I do a happy dance....

OK, I’m back. Yesterday I finished the binding and rushed to get pictures (alone, indoors, because Bruce - my quilt holder-upper - was at work) before the weak winter light faded. As I bound the quilt, I was careful to ensure the edges were straight, LOL.

Since I do all my bindings by machine, I sew them onto the back first.

Then I flip it to the right side and machine stitch it down. It’s more secure, and one never knows if the quilt will end up with kids or a charity, so the machine binding is peace of mind for me.

So, here is Exploding Boxes. There may or may not be a cat hiding underneath, LOL.

The quarter log cabin blocks were one of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks for this year. They finished at 6”, so this quilt measures 60” x72”.  I loved every part of this construction and have really developed a fondness for string projects. I see many more of them in my future!  I’m linking up to Angela’s Scrappy Saturday post, where many of us the world over are finishing up our 2018 RSC projects and showing them. Come check it out!

Here is the back of Exploding Boxes. I found this glorious scrappy-look plaid fabric earlier this year while doing the Utah Shop Hop in June. I only bought 2.5 yards (should’ve doubled that!), but it was a great excuse to use up some random chunks and fat quarters to finish off the back.

Exploding Boxes is also goal #10 on my 4th Quarter 2018 Finish-Along goal list. You can see that list HERE. This completes six out of my 10 goals; I hope to get at least one or two more done before year-end. The quarter-end linky party is HERE.

Isn’t it such a wild, happy quilt?? This may end up being a keeper.

Did I tell you that we plan to do some remodeling in the hallway so I can expand our linen closet? I’m dead serious. It’s always been on our wish-list, but now more so than ever. Not only because we have a lot of quilts linens to store, but because two certain felines (who shall remain nameless) have figured out how to open the sliding doors that cover the closet (a la 1960’s-style homes). Since we removed the carpeting and went back to hardwood floors, there’s a gap at the bottom of the doors, and they use it to paw the doors open so they can crawl up and sleep on the quilts, in the dark, cozy shelves.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This week I also got the Christmas Tree Skirt layered, spray basted and quilted. I now just need to trim and bind it. I found some cute pink polka dot bias tape - I used to sell it in my Etsy shop - and had luckily saved a 5-yard cut for myself for “one day”. It turns out that it’ll be just enough to bind the circular tree skirt.

On the white wedges, I quilted a leaf vine. I know these pictures don’t show the quilting very well, but the back is that zig-zag print, so it’s no better that way!

On the zig-zag wedges I quilted a ribbon candy-type loop pattern.

And the candy wedges just got some swirls of increasing size down the center.

After these pictures were taken, they all got some ditch stitching between wedges and the white wedges also got some straight lines stitched 1/4” inside the seamline. I plan to finish up the tree skirt this weekend.

During the next week, I’ve got a few goals lined up. First, I’ll finish the final pieced tree secret gift project. Next I’ll sew the pinned row - shown last week - to my On Ringo Lake project. No progress was made on it this week at all, and once that row is sewn on, it’s coming down from the design wall for a break. Thirdly, I need to focus on All You Need is Love for my daughter. It’s going to be a Christmas (or birthday, since her birthday is mid-December) present. It’s also my One Monthly Goal for November, and I’d better get cracking on it! I’d love to finish that before the new Bonnie Hunter mystery begins the day after Thanksgiving, but I’ll settle for finishing it by month-end.

Thanks for dropping by!