Quilt in a Day

And you thought that Quilt in a Day was only the name of a company!!!  It's possible to make a quilt in a day. Of course, nothing was cut so that's where I started. I needed to cut some of the pieces with templates. Bottom line, the quilt top was together by 1 PM. Except that it then needed 3 borders.

I wasn't kind to myself when I choose the fabrics for the borders. All three were directional prints! And the last one needed mitered corners. However, by 4 PM, the borders were on. The quilt was loaded on the long arm by 6 PM. I could have proceeded on and quilted it, but that's a job for this morning. The quilt is 64" by 84".  Yep - I'm an idiot. The key is to be very focused and NOT make any mistakes. I don't think I ripped a single thing on the quilt. There were loads of angles, but it went together perfectly.

While I was doing that piecing, I managed to get a few more enders and leaders accomplished. These ones are sewn in pairs and ready for one last seam to make the quarter block. You can see the small block in the lower left corner of the photo.

Enders/leaders sewn into pairs

This is the stack of remaining half square triangles that have to be sewn into pairs. Oh yes - there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I'll be glad to get this project done and move onto the next one.

Half square triangles to be sewn together

Then after dinner, I was off to the embroidery machine where I have some stuff that I would like to get done before I head off to Quilt Canada this coming week.

I fired up the embroidery machine. Oh, shoot - there's an update. I downloaded the update (the beauty of having a sewing machine - Husqvarna Viking Designer EPIC - which is connected to the internet. I didn't install the update, just downloaded it.

So while the embroidery machine was chugging away, I started to make the binding for the magazine quilt. Yards and yards of binding or so it seemed.

Making the binding for the magazine quilt

After that binding was done, I decided while I was waiting for the embroidery that I'd put the binding on that giant applique quilt that I quilted a week or so ago. Only to discover that I had cut the binding strips, but had NOT made the binding. That was OK - I had time to kill. So I made the binding for that quilt. 

Making the binding for the applique quilt

Then I got both machines fired up. But not before I had to unbox the one on the right PFAFF creative icon and then carry it upstairs. I had it at the training class with me last week and it got dumped in the hall when I got home.

Two machines fired up and ready to work

And on the other side of the room, I had my smaller machine fired up and was trying to do a software update on the computer in the background. Oh yes - I multitask if I can.

More machines fired up on the other side of the room

By this time, the light was fading outside. The lighting in that room isn't the best. And while the light on both of those machines is UNBELIEVABLE, it was getting harder to work and I was making mistakes. I did manage to get the binding sewn to the back of that giant quilt, but do you think I could follow the edge on the front? I was too tired at this point. So I shut everything down.

Out of ten strips of fabric, this is all the binding I had left. I did say the quilt was a giant one!

All that was left from 10 strips of binding

When I fired up the machines this morning, the update started automatically. Isn't that great - I don't have to do a thing to make it work!!! It didn't take long and the update was installed and I was ready to embroider again.

The update is happening

Every day, there's a new learning experience. Yesterday was no exception. I learned that when you hear the embroidery hoop go bump against the wall, it's a bad thing. I was certain there was enough room for the hoop as I've been doing a lot of embroidery in Studio U. However, I had NOT used the biggest hoop and when it went to the bottom, the hoop bumped the wall. I moved the machine and started the next line of stitching. BUT that bump, misplaced the stitches in the hoop. This was the LAST row of ten. This entire piece went in the garbage. No way to salvage it as it's stitched on vinyl!

Oops - that blue should NOT have stitched on top of the purple

Despite the intense day, I was able to get out for a walk. It was so gorgeous yesterday. Sunny, but not too hot. And I wore shorts the entire day. I had the window open and a beautiful breeze in Studio U. It was glorious.

I walked to the bank but arrived just after they closed for the day so I only got half of my bank errands done there. 

Then off to the library to drop off some books and transfer some more files. Yikes - the one DVD had huge files and it started off telling me that it was going to take 22 hours to transfer. No way????  Then it popped down to 18 minutes, but the library was closing in 15 minutes. Eventually, all the files did transfer and I have about 3 minutes to spare. Yeah!!!!!  I guess the lesson here is - don't wait until the end of the day to do the errands.

The library was closing in about 6 minutes!

So yes - it was a totally long and intense day, but I got a lot done. Still had time to sit in the gazebo and read and go for a walk. I was good with that!

Today is another day. Lots more to get done today and I'll be teaching a class this afternoon.

On that note, it's time to fire up the long arm. Just a tad inconvenient that the two machines I want to use are on different floors!! No worries, I have other stuff to do in the basement while I babysit the quilt.

Have a super day!!!!


Ciao!!!