Facings to Finish an Edge

Well, I finally tried the facing technique to finish the edge of a small piece - WHAT A GREAT TECHNIQUE!! Thinking about it before doing it - I had thought there was NOWAY that you could roll the edge of batting under after turning the facing - without it being bulky/ugly - but it works!! Thru quiltart.com, Melody Johnson of Palmer, Tennesse (gee - wonder how close that is to Savannah?) gave a link to her blog - showing instructions to her technique of an Escape-Hatch Finish published in QNM. THANK YOU MELODY! (Here is the link also..... http://fibermania.blogspot.com/2006/09/i-had-it-just-minute-ago.html )

This is a small piece made from scraps - just trying to deplete my collection of scraps. The batting is Warm & Natural cotton - and it rolled over beautifully! Melody's instructions include fusing the piece - I have onhand a piece of fusible stabilizer - essentially a light weight muslin with fusing on one side - so that is what I used for the backing. It worked great!

This is my 4th piece for 2009 with a Bible verse on it. I have challenged myself to do one each week - I think on and dwell on God's word while making the piece - and I find recall of the verses much easier. If you are a quilter and would like to combine it with your Bible study, I would recommend you try this also.

My mom was a scrap quilter. From a collection of wool and wool blend scraps, she made a few quilts. She gave me one many years ago - and my Dad recently found another one she had made - but just a quilt top. My 3 sisters and I each made a small piece, which I have sewn together for the backing to this quilt. We are finishing it as a surprise for my Dad. And I am feeling seriously 'whupped' by this project. It was extremely difficult to quilt - and I have been dragging my feet about binding it.





So to play a bit - and try to conquer this project - I made the small bag above from some of the scrap pieces. The straps are made by rolling some batting inside 3 sewn squares, then hand stitching it closed. I also used the technique of a facing to line the bag.





The picture below shows the quilt top for my Dad on the left and the quilt given to me on the right.

My daughter is 30 now - just sent off to her a box of 'stuff', clothes, schoolwork, artwork, etc. from her kinder years - almost 20lbs of stuff. I have been thru 2 major moves in the last 5 years - thought it was time to send some of her stuff on to her.....notice I write 'some' of her stuff - yes, I still have more. Oh, bringing them out and sending them off to her brought back such sweet, warm and some funny memories. I hope they do the same for her. The picture above was published in her school calendar - a published artist by the 8th grade!!