Is there life beyond quilting?

 I have been working around the yard, cleaning the house and painting the garage the past few days, so haven't done as much sewing/quilting. You might remember that on my Online Buddies retreat many of them made Circle and Spin quilts. Heather got her baby version finished and sent me a pic. She quilted it on her home machine, which she is really good at. I love her color choices. She used the smaller block from Circle and Spin to the Moon as she wanted the look of the Circle and Spin but in a smaller size. Beautiful! 

I did get the labels made and sewed on to the Off the Beaten Path baby quilt and Mirages. I made the baby quilt for my sis and her husband to give as a gift. I gave her some examples of what I could put on the label and this is what she chose. How do you make your labels? I use the June Taylor Colorfast Sew in Fabric Sheets. They are easy to use and my computer prints way better than I do. You can also had pictures or clip art to them. 

I needed to take some pictures of the Swag Bag to advertise the class, so I took it outside for a photo shoot. Love the outdoor pictures. Which pic should I use?

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 My zinnias are blooming like crazy right now. Evidently they like heat! It's a larger bag and easy to make. I can't wait to finish the other one I have started for a class working model.

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I went on a fun road trip to Mo. Star Quilts on Saturday with friends. We wandered in and out of the many shops there and enjoyed lot of eye candy and inspiration. I spent a lot of time in the Batik store and came out with a nice plump bag full of new batiks. It was a great day for it and we had a lot of fun.

 I started scraping and painting the garage the other day. I started with the doors because it looks the worst (hit by a hail storm awhile back) and faces the street. I finished scraping and painting the first coat of primer yesterday. It took over a can of primer, so the wood is really soaking it up. I'm worked a little on the south side yesterday too, and am going back to finish it today. It didn't need as much scraping as the other sides, not sure why unless it's because it's right across the alley from a house that shades most of it. For whatever reason, I'm happy about it. I like to scrape awhile, then paint awhile so I don't get too discouraged about the scraping. I like the painting part.

Odds and ends of sewing and other stuff....

My friend, Dianne, has been working ahead on her Red, White and True Quilt Along quilt and finished the twin top the other day. Since I didn't make the twin, I was excited to see one finished and thought you would be too. She did a great job! 

Pat F. is all caught up with this week's blocks finished, so she is ready to put the blocks together next week. I love seeing these quilts coming together, so please share as you make yours, whether it is now or later on. My Flickr group is open for you to upload your pictures.

I got the label made for the RWT quilt and sewed it on this morning while chatting on the phone with my sister. It is now officially finished!

I made another  Runaround Bag out of this cute fabric the other day too. They are so fast and easy to make.

My daughter asked me to take their duvet cover and make it into a quilt. I cut it apart and loaded it on the machine yesterday...it's like quilting 2 sheets together so it's going well. I'm using my favorite panto, Leafage by Keryn Emmerson since there is so much off white. I'll take some pictures when I'm finished. 

I've also been working on a new Happy Villages project..I'm really excited about it....more about that tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the last day to enter the RWT Quilt Along giveaway...better go enter now!

Lots of odds and ends of sewing going on around here and more planned for today, so I'd better get busy!

The finishing touch...making labels

I spent some time recently making quilt labels. I know I should do this as soon as I finish the quilt, but I don't always take the time. So I did some catching up. I like to print the label on June Taylor Colorfast Fabric Sheets. I have had good luck with printing pictures onto these sheets and they work well for labels too. You can add who it's for, your name and date, whatever you want, and print from your ink jet printer.  I like to make several at a time so that I don't waste the fabric sheets. There are easy to follow directions as to what you do after printing to make it colorfast. Then you are ready to cut them apart and attach them.

You can add fusible web to the backs and iron them on if you want to. I worry that they won't last through many washings, so if I do this, I still sew around them.

Normally I sew a narrow border around the edges of the trimmed labels...I try to use fabric that matches the backing, so that they blend in. I then cut out a piece of fabric or interfacing that is the same size as the bordered label.

I put them right sides together and sew all around the outside edges. I then cut a small X on the back fabric/interfacing so that I can turn it right side out. I press around the outside edges and it's ready to sew on to the quilt backing. No need to sew that X closed as it will never be seen.

Now you have a great "watching TV" hand sewing project. As you can see, I have enough labels to keep me busy for a few nights anyway!

Do you put labels on your quilts? Do you have another method of leaving your mark on them? I think it's important to have your name and date on quilts, so if I don't have time to make and attach a label, I sign and date it in an inconspicuous spot on the back of the quilt.

A label really finishes a quilt...ok, maybe now I'm bragging...

I needed to make a label for another quilt this week, so I made one for Zig-Zag as well. Over the years of quiltmaking, I have been terrible about making labels for my quilts. If it's a gift, I try harder to get it done, but it's just one more thing to do and doesn't always get done. Sometimes I have handwritten my name and the date on the back...that's better than nothing, right? So I've been trying to do better with labeling and it's fast and easy printing them out on printer fabric. This time I put a narrow border of the backing fabric around the label as the printer fabric is stiffer and harder to sew through. So if I'm bragging, I apologize...but it sure feels good to have it sewn on and really finished!

Do you put labels on all of YOUR quilts?

At the last class for the Four Patch Petunia Minicourses, I asked if anyone wanted to learn how to finish their quilt. Patty and Kelsey were going to quilt their quilt, but the other three were anxious to learn the finishing steps. So Thursday night we met to learn how to layer and tie the quilt. Christie's quilt top (above)is so bright and cheerful, it will make her happy just to have it nearby! Bunnie and Kellie are still working on their quilts as they want to make them larger, so they are practicing the finishing steps on smaller quilts. I didn't get pix of them last night, but will next week. Hopefully when they get theirs finished, they will bring them in for a photo op! Next week....binding!

How many people label all of their quilts? I think it's a great idea, but honestly it doesn't always get done. I like to make labels using the photo fabric, so that I can add a picture or graphic to it. I needed a label the other day, so decided to crop a part of a quilt picture for the background. Then I played with the color a bit and added the words, in this case my name and date. Six fit on a page easily, so I just printed out 6 of the same one. I have finished several quilts in the past few months, and haven't attached labels, so these will come in handy. If using the photo fabric, be sure to follow the directions on setting the colors.

 After you have set the colors, you can either press the edges under carefully 1/4" or line it and then flip it right side out. That is what I did, as I think it's easier to do that then to fold the edge over consistently.

 Then hand stitch it to the back of the quilt.

Ok, now be honest....do you attach labels to all of your quilts? 

Quilt label and garden globes

Here is the label I put on Laney's quilt. I made it on my computer and printed onto the photo fabric. I took it over and gave it to her yesterday. Her mom loved it and I think she will too when she is a little bigger. I forgot to take a picture of her and the quilt, though, so am upset with myself about that. I am going to call her mom (my niece) later and see if she will take a pic for me.
I was so excited to find these garden globes the other day...I have been looking for them since I got back last year from visiting my sister in Canada. I can't get a good pic at night, though. Here they are when I used the flash last night. (the clover really popped up after the rain!)
Here they are without the flash. They really are pretty and flash different colors.

I want to finish the Sampler Quilt top today. I have the blocks together, just need to sash between and around, and add the borders.