Wow! So many comments! This is so exciting!
Thank you to everyone who came to visit!
I hope you come back and visit regularly.
I am so excited about meeting new bloggers from around the world.
After all, I live in a town of 850....it's exciting to meet ANYBODY new!
Thank you
Nicole from Sister's Choice for introducing me to the blog world. I have been a long-time lurker/sometime poster on Nicole's blog and that was so kind of her to spread the word and answer my myriad of questions. I don't get much free time to quilt during the summer, but reading Nicole's blog makes me absolutely ITCHY for quilting! I'm going to have to learn from her "hour a day" method and carve out a small chunk of time each day to sew. Ok, let's be honest....a small amount of time each WEEK would be a vast improvement.
In April, I taught a Buggy Barn Crazy Stars class at a weekend quilt retreat. The model I made for the class has since found a new home, but I worked on two more tops during the weekend. They have sat neatly folded on my sewing table since the retreat, longing to be adorned with pieced borders, and even going so far as to dream of someday being quilted. My flimsies have high aspirations during the summer. But if I adopt this whole "small amounts of time add up into BIG progress" way of thinking, and set aside some time just two nights a week, I'll bet I could get those borders on by the end of the month. And then on a free day I could quilt them. And then there's the dreaded issue of binding. Let me share with you my thoughts on binding.
I hate binding.
Everything about it. Cutting all the little strips and sewing them together. Especially ironing them in half. I don't actually mind so much the process of sewing it down on the first side, but man alive, the whole hand-sewing the other side down just makes crazy. I don't like it one bit. I'll even admit that I have quilted quilts folded up in my cupboard with the binding attached on one side, but not sewn down on the other. How terrible is that? That's why I really moved to Alaska. To hide from the Quilt Police.
Now, lucky for me, there is a lady in our quilt group who feels the same way about quilting! And I love the quilting part! So we struck a deal. For every quilt of hers I quilt, she'll bind one of mine. We have discussed at great length, and still have not come up with an answer as to who is getting the better end of this deal here, but I am certain it is me. Anytime I don't have to bind a quilt, I WIN. And the good news is that I even have a credit with her. She owes me binding. I know, you're wondering where I'm going with this. My point is that it wouldn't take much to have these two Crazy Star tops become full-fledged quilts. Even during the summer tourist season. There is light at the end of my summer quilting drought.
I completely missed using this quilt to celebrate the 4th of July, but that orange, black and tan star one would do nicely this upcoming October. I have a soft black flannel with small tan pin-dots for the backing. Wouldn't that be cute and cozy?
You know what the best thing about both of these quilts is? (Is that question grammatically correct?)
Drum roll please....
They both were made entirely out of my STASH. Even the borders, backings and battings. I can't tell you how good that feels. It makes me so happy, that I just want to go out and buy some more fabric. That's sick, isn't it?
Stay tuned...these babies will be finished soon!
I love it...why else would we use from our stash except to buy some more fabric! :-)
I definitely think you have got yourself a sweet deal with the binding-for-quilting. I've got something similar going with my quilts-for-charity, but the others? I'm learning to like machined binding. But the process of machine sewing down a binding is not any more pleasant than the hand sewing...EXCEPT for the pain. Were it not for the pain, I think I would rather hand sew.
I like those stars. Is there some way you could rent a hall in your beautiful, gorgeous town and invite us "southerners" to come up for a class? For a fee, of course. What a lovely vacation that would make..."Come quilt with me in Alaska"
Posted by: Linda | 07/13/2009 at 11:59 PM
What great Star Quilts. A ton of fun!!! I know the wonderful feeling of finishing a quilt from the stash. It's an excuse to celebrate.
As I also avoid the bondage of binding I celebrate you for striking a bargain with a quilty-mate!
Down in the SE Corner of the Lower 48, *karendianne.
Posted by: Karen | 07/14/2009 at 02:27 AM
Very Nice! Sounds like you got a good deal! I like binding and quilting. I really don't like putting the fabrics together in the beginning...what if I don't like them together? But once I start, I love the process and I hate to finish a quilt cause it is like finishing a good book.
Posted by: cockermom | 07/14/2009 at 02:48 AM
Love the star quilts. Might be one of my stash buster tops this year.
Posted by: Dayna | 07/14/2009 at 03:38 AM
I love your blog. You have a real gift for writing. I feel like I'm right there with you. Love your quilts, even without binding.
Posted by: Sheddy | 07/14/2009 at 05:07 AM
Now I am with your friend wholeheartedly. I hate quilting. Binding is ok. I can do that with a good movie on and my doggy curled up on part of the quilt, but quilting... I really, really hate to ruin a pretty quilt and I don't have enough $$ to have them professionally done. Well that, and the two I have had done professionally were AWFUL. So I envy you your tradeoff. I really must find a quilt lover/binding hater for myself!! LOL!!
Posted by: Tricia T. | 07/14/2009 at 05:14 AM
I love both of your star quilts! LOL - moved to Alaska to escape the quilt police, did you? I'm with you on binding, although I don't mind making it and sewing it on the first side, my shoulder injury makes the hand sewing extremely painful for me. Plus, I'm not very good at the hand stitching.
Posted by: Lisa D. | 07/14/2009 at 05:33 AM
Funny I never thought you could seperate quilters into groups...the binders and the quilters. I am a binder myself, quilting makes me tense. I love to finish something up though, I have a lot of unfinished quilt tops stuck at the quilting stage. I need a friend like you I guess, a quilter!
Love your new blog!
Posted by: Ferne | 07/14/2009 at 05:54 AM
Sounds like you struck a good deal with your friend. So you moved to Alaska to get away from the Quilt Police. And now you have gone public about it. Mmmm!
Posted by: Karen Beigh | 07/14/2009 at 06:22 AM
Allyson, if I ever heard of someone needing the Witness Protection Program, it is you! Now the Quilt Police are going to be totally on to you!
Those crazy star quilts are adorable--especially the orange and black and tan one. Such unexpected colors for a star quilt. Love it!
Posted by: Nicole | 07/14/2009 at 06:31 AM
Hi Allyson! I love your blog, and your star quilts are gorgeous. I love the colors and design. I have added you to my blog roll...keep the inspiration coming, we LOVE it!
Posted by: Christine | 07/14/2009 at 06:35 AM
Hi Allyson, Welcome to the blogging world. I have a sister-in-law who lives in Juneau. She's been there about about 9 years now and in all that time we have never been able to visit. Where are you? I am also a big fan of Nicole's and that's how I found your blog. I have also made one of the Buggy Barn Crazy Star quilts but have not quilted it as of yet. Isn't that normal for quilter?? Keep up the good work!!
Posted by: Donna Coulter | 07/14/2009 at 08:20 AM
Love the binding/quilting deal. I hate binding, too, and I've yet to figure out the corners, so I always end up with a wad of oversewn binding at each corner.
Your blog is fun. Can't wait to hear more.
Posted by: Holly | 07/14/2009 at 11:40 AM
I really like the red-white-blue star quilt. What is that pattern?
850 population? Is that summer population or winter?
Posted by: Christine Thomas | 07/14/2009 at 05:00 PM
Great quilts! And bartering is a great art, too!
Posted by: Jill | 07/14/2009 at 06:13 PM
I reallllly like that Halloween-looking star quilt of yours. Halloween is a big deal around this house, but I don't have a single Halloween quilt. If you lived closer, you might wake up one morning to find it gone.
Posted by: Stephanie | 07/14/2009 at 06:30 PM
Wish I lived there so I could do some swapping with you...I'd much rather bind. Which is probably why I have so many flimsies hanging on hangars in a closet..waiting to be quilted. Your star quilts are nice. And almost done!!
And since you used fabric from your stash, it's the RULE that you get to go buy more!
Posted by: Kathleen | 07/15/2009 at 07:54 AM
Hi Allyson,
Do you know if this pattern is in one of the Buggy barn books or is just sold separately. I have another pattern called Pointless Wonder that is lots like that-
As for binding, I only machine bind everything now-It is not quite as pretty but I use invisible thread and blind hem it. It is the only way I could see me finish binding a big quilt now. Once upon a time I did hand finish them but not anymore, I am just too pokey at it.
Is the orange cats name Fat Cat? He/ she is gorgeous and loves to roll on quilts like our orange girl cat named Mars.
Have a great quilty day.
Regards,
Anna
Posted by: anna | 07/15/2009 at 09:04 AM
Great quilts! Love Buggy Barn patterns. I have the opposite problem, I love to bind - it is the piecing that I am so slow at. I need to be like you and find someone to trade with.
Posted by: Richelle Robinson | 07/15/2009 at 05:38 PM
Love those stars! I'm not sure you got the best end of the deal . . . . hand stitching binding is my favorite part of quilting *s*
Posted by: Libby | 07/16/2009 at 07:40 AM
I agree with Libby....binding is my favorite part...it is the end of the quilts journey (besides that darned label of course!) Thanks for visiting my blog, now I see yours!
Posted by: Mary Flynn | 07/17/2009 at 04:02 AM
I hate hand binding also. I bind the whole quilt on the machine. Instead of sewing binding on the front and turning to the back and hand stitching, sew binding on the back and turn to the front and machine stitch it. If you are unsure of yourself try a pot holder first. easy!
Posted by: Ladybug | 07/17/2009 at 03:56 PM