I Finished Something!

 

My first harvest!

There's a funny line I've seen that says...."I never finish anythi."  That's mostly true about me. I love starting things....all kinds of things....and every once in a while I actually finish something!

Today I finished Liz's fabric piece.....so tomorrow I'll figure out how to package it up for Paul to take with him on the plane. I'll share the whole thing in a few days....but today I'm going to briefly share my wrapped binding technique again.  

I chose a gray textured fabric for the binding...it looks a bit like bark and seemed to be a nice compliment to the piece.  My original intent was to use more of the same hand dyed fabric....but I thought the gray fabric and gave it a nice crisp frame. And in the end made the whole piece feel a little softer....and better for Liz's bedroom.

I cut the binding 3 inches wide (it should have been a little narrorowner) and ironed a strip of fusible webbing along one edge.  I had to piece it together as I didn't have a long enough run to go all the way around....and I planned it so the seams would be at the top and bottom, not along the sides where they would be most visible. 

I used 1/4 inch seam allowance and made a little corner turn with the thread like this when I got 1/4 inch away from the next edge. This angle will guide the mitred corner technique I learned here here:  http://mysweetprairie.blogspot.com/2011/01/tips-on-tuesdays-binding.html

Next I folded the binding straight up....then folded it back down....and sewed the next seam.

  

It makes a perfect mitred corner...and creates a bit of a box that pulls perfectly around the frame to the back.  It's crisp and clean, and a nice finish to a quilt piece. 

I had to do a little trouble shooting...because the canvas was loose and floppy and I was worried the piece would sag with it.  The canvas was just a few dollars from the Goodwill Store.....so what do I expect?

I inserted folded pieces of thick batting into all the crevices between the canvas at the frame...and it tightened it up nicely.  Between this....and the fact that the piece is on heavy weight interfacing type fabric...I think it will be just fine.

Because my binding was a little wide....I had to pull it around and fuse it the the inside edge of the frame....but that actually makes it look a little more tidy on the back.  Because I used commercial fabric I did secure it with a few staples after I took these photos.

It's not beautiful....there are bumps and bulging staples from the canvas underneath...but it hangs flat and nobody will see the back.  

I'll share the whole front view in a few days.

Look what else I finished....well....almost finished.

I'm still missing those two edge pieces....so I'm embracing the beauty of imperfection! Philippa would be proud!

Time to start another one! This table will ALWAYS have a puzzle on it.