First "Official" Finish of 2016

My label is composed, written and stitched to "Tinkling the Ivories" which I blogged about here. This is what it looks like. To me, a quilt isn't finished until it has the sleeve and label on it!

Cost of this project was minimal. The main fabric cost $5.38. 

The piano key block came from leftovers from my "to be cut into use able pieces pile a la Bonnie Hunter." The thread came from my growing thread stash. I used a couple needles. The batting was pieced together leftovers. 














The buttons came from my grandmother's button jar. It is a small jar; but, when 90 more buttons were in it, it was about 3/4 full!

Time to make the project is another story! It took about 45 minutes to select fabric, cut and stitch the piano key block. I spent about four hours testing stitches before I stitched on my quilt sandwich for the decorative machine stitches. Of course, the one stitch I didn't test. . . .I should have! Then I filled in with the background fill stitches which took about six hours. I used my machine which is a Bernina and the number 18 foot to sew on all the buttons. It took about two hours to sew them on and about four hours to bury all of the threads! Sewing the binding on by machine took about an hour which included cutting and preparing it. Sewing the sleeve and hand stitching the corners took another hour as did the label construction process. For a skinny quilt, I shouldn't have been surprised that it took me 20 hours to complete this process!

I pin basted my block of the month hexagon quilt so it is ready for stitch in the ditch quilting(SID). 


I usually SID every stinking seam (ESS) which is a term coined from Cindy Needham, to encourage the layers to not shift while I add the additional quilting. I still get distortion; but, not as much had I not completed this step!






I also made a block for the guild's challenge contest. It is supposed to be a secret so I won't share it here until after the quilt show in April. The block is due next month. 

I turned in entry forms for five of my quilts to be in the show. My goal was four quilts so for once I exceeded my goal! I usually have all of my entries judged; but, this year I decided not to have any of them judged. It costs $10 to receive the feedback from the judges. Generally, I concur with the judges comments and this year, I just decided that I would live on the edge! :) Plus, I saved myself $50!

I entered:
Blueberry/Lime


















Ripples

















Window Boxes

Paths

Tickling the Ivories



















Now, I'm working on the river quilt. I've decided that the sky fabric is too close in value to the canyon background fabric and that I need my water to flow in a different direction. I hope I figure out a pleasing arrangement soon as I'd like this project to end up in the finished pile sooner rather than later!