Basket Quilt Binding - Opinion Please

The last days I've been working entirely on finishing the Basket Quilt (#5 on my UFO list)

I quilted the last piece yesterday, trimmed the sides and added a sleeve. It's ready for the binding, but I can't for my life decide what color to choose. ...and since I don't buy unnecessary fabric (strict fabric diet!), I don't have anything that fits. I have to purchase fabric for this one, to be able to finish it.

Can you believe I'm out of black?! I had a small piece I tried, but to me it looked too dull. Dark green or dark red? Don't have! SIGH! 

If I had had more of the black with purple and teal, I would have chosen that one.

Something low scale black with tiny flowers? Dots? 

I'm having a hard time to decide! 

What had YOU chosen for binding? 

Your opinion, please!

 

 

Coffee with Dad - RSC Finish

...as the title says; Coffee with Dad is finished! 

UFO #26 on my UFO/WIP list 2026

Actually I finished it in May, but didn't take photos at that time.   

An easy and fun quilt to make! 

Drums, daffodils, black cat and colorful gecko

Yellow cat

Geckoes and sunflowers

The pink cat, and favorite coffee batik

Yes, I love cats! It was fun to rediscover some of the fussy cut fabrics for the cups.

Pieced backing

It was difficult to get the colors right. I took the photos in the shade on the porch. The bottom looks a bit washed out compared to the top that have more the right colors. 

I've had this teapots / teacups fabric for years. The idea was to make some table quilts (table runners, placemats, tea cozy etc) which never happened. I had saved it because it was 'too pretty to cut'! lol Well, I just had to trim it a bit to fit the backing.

...and yes, I did incorporate the broken handle cup to the back! 😃

The binding is an 'old' black and white animal print I found in my stash.

First blocks made: January 2025 (RSC)

Flimsy: March 2026

Finished: May 8, 2026

Size: 60 x 83 inches / 153 x 210 cm

All fabrics from my stash

Pattern: Quiltmaker May/June 2022

Other UFO Finishes 2026, take a look here

Keep the Home Fires Burning - A Finish

I reached my goal for March!

(I'm late in posting my finishes)

'Keep the Home Fires Burning' is FINISHED! 

This quilt was started when I had a squirrel moment in February 2024, and also a result of the RSC - Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2024. 

In December 2024 I made a pieced backing, using up more bits & pieces of fabrics I know I'd never use for anything else. I got two leftover blocks I added to the back.

Deciding on a quilting design is always a challenge. I do all quilting on my domestic sewing machine; Bernina 440 QE. The throat size is 7.5", not a big space for big quilts. It involves quite some wrestling (arms exercise!) and usually a bucket of swear words! Does it sound familiar?! 

This quilt wasn't the worst to quilt. I did straight lines and there were not much wrestling! 

Straight lines on and around the Heart, half inches between the seams. 

(Click on the photos to enlarge)

Pinwheels, 9-patches and an interesting border

Friendship Star blocks, Bowties, 4- and 9-patches

9-patches, Friendship Stars and Bowties

4-patches, Bowties, Friendship blocks and border

Size: 72 x 72 inches / 183 x 183 cm

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Fabric Requirements (Pattern):

 

Top: Approximately 9-1/4 yards 

Back: 4-7/8 yards - pieced back requires more

Total: Approximately 15 yards (all from my stash)

Progress: 

First blocks made: February 2024

All blocks (except the border block): August 2024

Pieced backing: December 2024

Quilted: March 2024

Thread: King Tut 961 and 997 front, Masterpiece 152 back

Total hours to quilt & hand sew binding to the back: 46 hours

Finished: March 12, 2025

New York Beauty Quilt is Finished!

When the weather calls for 'no venture out', what do you do?!

SEW! EAT! Drink COFFEE! SLEEP! REPEAT! 

Well, this apply to all rainy days, not only last week when 'Garance' passed close by. 

My February goal was to finish the NYB quilt, and I did! 

It has 48 blocks + 4 corner blocks.

It measures 74 x 58 inches / 188 x 147 cm

All batik from my stash, except the backing (batik too) I had to purchase. 

Once again thank you to those of you who suggested thread color and design!  (here). Much appreciated!

You may remember I'm on SSD (Strict Stash Diet) this year. I didn't want to purchase thread and pay a fortune in shipping! I went through my Aurifil, King Tut and MasterPiece. I kept in mind some of the suggestions were 'light lime green'. 

The only suitable thread I had, and enough for the quilt (except grey), were two light green Aurifil. I used Aurifil 2902 Light Laurel Green for the top and Aurifil 2912 Platinum for the back. It blends in perfectly. I forgot to take photo of the back, but you can see it here. I'm not a big fan of pastels, but I think this one suits the quilt.  

Closeup of the quilting. Click on the photos to enlarge.

It took me 'forever', but I'm so glad I decided to custom quilt each block. It took me about 60-65 hours to quilt the blocks only. 

This is the corner block. Isn't it cute?! 

It measures 4.25" / 10.5 cm

It was a cloudy day, not the best light for photos. 

First block made 2020 (no records, maybe during Covid lockdown and no I-net connection) 

All blocks done March 2021

Thread basted January 2023

Finished February 18, 2025

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Next up to quilt: 

'Keep the Home Fires Burning'

It's a big quilt, but should be relatively easy to quilt, depending how I decide to do it. 

This is my goal for March. 

Updates to follow. 

Country Charm is a Flimsy

I'm thrilled to have 'Country Charm' as a Flimsy!

What is a flimsy, you may ask? A completed quilt top that is not quilted, nor does it have batting or batting, just the top. 

I finished the top in January, but never got around taking photos, until some days ago.

I did not intend finishing the top this quick, but I got totally obsessed by all those 2" squares collected from swaps. The 2.5" (HST) are from my own cut squares. 

Look at all those yummy squares! 

Who does not go dizzy or cross-eyed working with all those squares?! 

I did! Do you see the errors? Two HST's were sewn in the wrong way. So glad I discovered it at this stage, not when the quilt is under the needle! 

All fixed! 

According to the pattern, it is made of 2412 2" squares and 504 2.5" squares (the latter  used for the HSTs). 

Did it make a dent in my boxes containing 2" squares? It sure did, but it's not even visible! 

The floral 108" wide backing I bought recently, is for this quilt. 

I'm not sure when I'll sandwich and quilt it. I have a few other quilts already thread basted and ready for quilting. Yet to decide which one I will try to finish next month. 

RSC Week #4 - Last of the Blues

 What a wet week! 

We've had much needed rain this week, torrential rain. We got almost 10.50 inches in 24 hours! Lots of flooding, mud water in people's home, a few roads closed. Fortunate there was no cyclone, just rain, and more rain. Very good for the reservoirs! We are fine, just a little bit water in the basement,  which happens every time we get heavy rain. Friday the island shut down; all private and official businesses closed due to the weather, similar warning to a category 4 cyclone. 

I've spent the days sewing. What else to do when there's no venture out?!

The Blue Month continues; the last days of blues

RSC - Rainbow Scrap Challenge - hosted by Angela

I've made more blocks for 'I've got the Blues'. These are only a few. Out of 28 each, I now have

- 18 Log Cabin blocks

- 10 Split Star blocks

I had a look back to when I started making the blocks; February 2012!!! Take a look here. I think it's time getting it done! 

HA! I see now that I forgot to take photos of the three first finished blocks! This is the layout. 

More blocks for Star Streams 

It's decided: This quilt is gonna be blue and white!

1) Fair & Square Star Block - make 5 (made 3)

2) Pinwheel Star Block - make 5 (made 1) 

3) Cross Star Block - make 5 (made 1)

4) Square in a Square Star Block - make 5 (made 1)

5) Fancy Star Block - make 4 (made 1) 

6) Four Patch Star Block - make 4 (made 1) 

These are the Star blocks, plus 28 Step Blocks (not made yet)

I've made one BIG BLOCK for the Swirling Stars Quilt, measuring 22.50" square! I think I've never made that big quilt block before! lol Hm... it looks like the white square left is dirty, doesn't it? It's not, it's a shade from somewhere (photos taken inside on a cloudy day). 

This one is going to be the RSC quilt. 

I have more fabric cut for 'I've got the Blues'. Since there are still a few days left of the blue month, I'll work on those. Still waiting for the FQ's I've ordered for this quilt. 

Linking up with Angela and the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2023

   

Christmas Flimsy, Preparing Backing and New Projects

 Hello everyone! 

I hope you've had a good week. To those of you in the US and Canada; stay inside, stay cool. Can't imagine the heat some of you're dealing with.  As you know; it's 'winter' in the tropics and to keep my fingers warm, I've been busy sewing! 

If you read my previous post, you know I was sorting 2.5' Christmas Fabric Squares (already cut) on colors. Rather boring, to tell the truth! Good thing there weren't that many!

After the sorting was done, I started sewing, and sewing... and sewing!!! Couldn't stop until I had a flimsy; 20 blocks! Here's a sneak-peek. I had sew much fun piecing these squares together and rediscover fabric I can't even remember what were used for. Sew fun! I'm thinking flannel as backing on this one (which I don't have). 'Of course' I don't have enough batting either! More added to the online shopping list; flannel and batting! 

The 'plan' for today... well, I don't really make plans, because they always fail! Better say; what I had in mind for today... that sounds better... was to continue on a couple of fall WIPs. That didn't happen! Instead I pieced the backing for the Pineapple Quilt (UFO). 

I've had this floral fabric for 'I don't know how long'. Not enough, as you can see, but after I took the photo, I added a beautiful brown to each side, top and bottom. Not the perfect backing for the quilt, but my aim is to use from my stash whenever I can. 

Don't you get fed up on UFO's sometimes, and want to make something new? I do! 

I pulled out some fall fabric and here's the beginning for an applique wall hanging. This is the second attempt...

...here's the first attempt..

I'm sure my brain had a short-circuit, because almost everything went wrong on this one; the three pieces for the fence are too wide and I managed to cut the background fabric 1/4' too short! UGH!!! I could have adjusted that with the black narrow border, but I got so ****** that I started all over! The error-piece won't go in the bin, I have an idea how to 'rescue' it. 

The beginning of a fall lap quilt

HA! Now I see the two small blocks have the same green center! I think I'll swap the red block with another one. I shall see.......

Amazing what pops up when it has been long forgotten, isn't it? 

Last year, or was it the year before?, I cut fabric, batting and insul bright for an oven mitt, mostly because I wanted to use up the piece of corn fabric. I don't even like corn, but the fabric is quite fun! I like how it turned out, except the thumb could have been longer; blame the pattern! Oh well, my very first handmade oven mitt! 

HAPPY WEEKEND! 

Finished UFO's and New Project

It's not often I have two posts in one week, but I'm excited to share some (quilting) news with you!

First, I have some finished UFO's! 

The Scrappy Christmas Quilt was finished in April, but never got around taking photos

I've used red, green, grey, white and gold scraps (I almost ran out of greens!)

For the back I've chosen a beautiful poinsettia fabric

The stocking kit was given to me a couple of years ago (I never buy kits). This UFO was also one of the 'laying on the bench next to the table'.

 I rarely make stockings, so it took me an unpick to get the lining inside and not outside! lol

This photo shows what was meant to be the back of the stockings.  Aren't these too cute to be hidden on the back?! Instead of two, I made four! 

Those of you who read my blog regularly, know I love making scrappy quilts. I'm a member of the Quiltsy Team on Etsy. The team has monthly challenges and for July/August: Scraps! Make anything from table runner to twin size quilt. 

I have cut squares from leftover fabrics for years, separated Christmas from all other themes. 

Big shoe box full of 2.5' squares! 

Not so much sorted on colors,

that's what I did last night; sorted on colors! Phew! Here are only a few. 

Sorted on colors, and one of each. I'm thinking a lap quilt, but it won't be a unique one (meaning: no duplicates!). I have several of most fabric, it has to be duplicates. 

Fun seeing some of these fabrics again, and some I can't even remember what I made. So this is what will keep my fingers warm the coming days. 

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Update: 'What's-on-the-table/chair/bench' list:

- 3 Tea Cozies - quilted - fix loop on each

- PSQ blocks 36 patches - ongoing project - no new blocks

- Pineapple Quilt (UFO) - make a pieced backing - not done

- Double Wedding ring quilt (2021) - arcs done

- NYB - 48 blocks done (2021) - layout

- Christmas Stockings (kit / UFO) - DONE!

- Coffee menu - cross stitching - no progress

Updated APQ UFO list, July 2, 2021

#1 -Blue & White Irish Chain

#2 - Black/White Poppies Wall Haning - FEBRUARY

#3 - Got the Blues

#4 - Christmas Lap Quilt - APRIL - DONE!

#5 - Pineapple Quilt - JUNE

#6 - Christmas Stockings Kit - DONE!

#7 - Log Cabin Blocks (Nancy Halvorsen) - JANUARY - DONE!

#8 - Scrappy Quilt / Migration to Africa - DONE!

#9 - PSQuilt - MAY - DONE!

#10 - Basket Quilt

#11 - Kitchen Wall Hanging (Vegetables) - MARCH

#12 - PSQuilt Blocks - JULY - DONE! 

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#13 - Crumb Quilt

#14 - Scrappy Flannel Quilt 

#15 - Scrappy 4' Squares

HAPPY QUILTING / WEEKEND!