Dog Park Piecing Done

 Hi all -

I hope everyone is doing well! We had been enjoying some beautiful mild weather, but it looks like winter has set back in. We're going to have cold temperatures all week with some bouts of snow. It's hard to move back into winter, but we do need any moisture we can get, so it's okay. And it does make it easier to stay inside and work on. my projects!

I was able to get the tennis ball top and bottom borders put on. my Dog Park quilt designed by Elizabeth Hartman:

Dog Park

I really like how this is turning out! As I've mentioned before, I'm thinking about adding applique flowers to this quilt. But, as usual, I'm moving on to a few other things while I contemplate this.

I was also able to finish piecing my potato chip quilt:

Potato Chip Quilt

I love how bright and happy this quilt is! I'm thinking about calling it "Spicy Chips" or "Nachos". It's really interesting how much better the layout shows up in the pictures than it does in person. I'll try to use the quilting to enhance the pattern in person.

I've also picked up an old project to work on. I don't remember when I started this, but it was a long time ago. One of my guilds is having a "new to me technique" challenge. I've never done a scalloped border before and I had been planning to put one on this quilt, so this is the perfect project for this challenge. And it will be a good challenge because I put it aside because I was a bit intimidated because I knew that I made the inside points on the edge pretty sharp so it's going to be a more difficult scalloped binding to make. I'm calling this quilt "A Newspaper" from my favorite joke as a kid -- What's black and white and red all over?

A Newspaper

When I had put this project aside, I had the stars in the circles quilted in the border, but hadn't trimmed the border yet. So this weekend I watched a couple of YouTube videos on scalloped bindings and started working on it. First, I sewed around the quilt approximately 1/2" from the edge of the quilting. This was an easy way to get a cutting line for the quilt edge and also tames those edges while putting on the binding. I then trimmed just outside of the sewing line. I measured the distance around the corner and around a scallop and did some math to figure out how much binding I would need and made the bias binding. Luckily, I had a red batik in my stash that matches the quilt enough to use it for the binding. Then this morning I sewed the binding around the edge of the quilt:

A Newspaper - Binding Sewn on Front

A couple of the YouTube videos said you don't need to clip the point until after sewing on the binding, but I found that my points were too sharp to be able to sew them without clipping. Sewing the binding on was a bit fiddly, but I got it done and now I can hand stitch it to the back of the quilt. Then I'll have to do some more quilting to finish up this quilt.

I also started a new little hand project for working on away from home. I have plenty of small knitting projects I can take with me, but I use an app to store my knitting patterns and keep track of where I am and I've found that the battery on the iPad that I use runs out after an hour or two when not plugged in, so I have to be careful about how long I work on knitting projects away from home. So I decided to start another portable project that doesn't rely on electricity. (And, of course, I just wanted to start a new Sue Spargo project, so.....) So I started working on the Flower Pin Cushion designed by Sue Spargo:

Flower Pin Cushion

I really love working on these wool applique/embroidery projects! There's something soothing about the feel of the needle gliding through the wool. And I think they turn out beautiful!

Finally, during the Super Bowl I picked up my Summer Blossom Mandala blanket designed by Rohn Strong:

Summer Blossom Mandala

This was a nice relaxing project to work on while watching the Chiefs get trounced. I was rooting for the Chiefs, so it was nice to have something soft and warm on my lap to soothe me throughout the game! I was able to add four more scallops to the blanket while watching the game. I'd really like to get this blanket finished so I'll try to concentrate on it more when doing handwork at home, after I get the binding sewn to the back of A Newspaper.

I think that covers it for this week....

Nancy