Keeping score...

Not of the Super Bowl... that's pretty much going as expected, unfortunately. 

I had hoped to have my Aviary quilt finished or almost finished by today.  How far along am I?  Not much further than I was last week, a couple of the blocks are finished and I'm just waiting for time to sew.

I did get to read a book ~ John Grisham's The Associate.

It is being touted as similar to The Firm... I disagree.  I thought The Firm was terrific but I found this one to be "incomplete.  The basic premise of the plot is good and the primary character could be good but you don't really get to know him so it's kind of hard to be rooting for him.  And the other characters are not much more than cardboard cutouts with names... in my opinion.  In many ways the book reads rather like a screenplay proposal than a novel and coincidentally, the movie deal and stars have already been announced. 

I also finished a binding...

 

And I'm sorry but I can't show you a picture of the quilt itself just yet.  It is titled "Good Tidings" and it is going to be seen "elsewhere" in a couple of months.  But since I know how hilarious everyone finds my fondness for binding clips, I thought I would provide some amusement until then. 

Do you remember the stacks of squares I cut a few months ago?

   

This is what happened to them... and it's all done.  And I love it.  And it has a scrappy red binding.  But you'll have to wait to see it.

One of the things I really love about it is the batting!  I used the relatively new Kyoto Batting by Moda.

 

It is a blend of 50% cotton and 50% bamboo ~ very environmentally friendly.  It is also very soft and after it is washed, it has that old-fashioned quilt feel that we all love.  I think it feels just a tiny bit thicker than Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 and old-fashioned battings like Cream Rose and Blue Ribbon.  Because it isn't as needle-punched as Warm & Natural or Quilter's Dream, the first washing leaves it very soft and squishy.  It is also a little thinner than the other cotton/bamboo batting by Fairfield ~ it is very soft too but just a skosh thicker.

Can you tell I like to experiment with battings?  Do you have any favorites?  Anything I should make sure I try?

And I just took a cheesecake out of the oven... I'll let you know tomorrow how it turned out.  I am a little disappointed that the top cracked, mostly because I am making it to take to inventory at Williams-Sonoma tomorrow morning.  I don't have to bring anything but I really wanted to try this recipe and this seemed the perfect way to do it.  I get lots of opinions and since Mom and I won't eat a whole cheesecake in the next two weeks, this means I won't wind up throwing half of it away.

By the way, how many of you use those dye magnet sheets when you wash your quilts?  I use these by Shout...

And, yes, I really do use that many binding clips!  I know some quilters use just five or six and keep leap-frogging them as they go.  Well... I use five or six packages and I clip as much of the quilt as I can... until I run out of clips.  And just so you know, I clipped all but about 12" on this quilt with the clips I had... if only I'd had a few more... 

Comments

[Bren]

Hi Carrie. . . yep well at least the Cardinals really gave it a shot. . (In fact I'm a little hoarse from cheering & hollering! . . & I'm not a big football fan! I was really rooting for Kurt!)
I had to laugh at your photo of stacked squares. . . that's exactly how I do mine!. . . all in neat little stacks @ 45 degree angles. . . So it makes perfect sense to me!
I'm a Quilter's Dream (Request) girl. I just love how lightweight it is & it washes so well. It reminds me of how my Grandmas' quilt feel.
Can't wait to see your latest!
xo, Bren

[Joyce]

I use the Color Catchers by Shout. I wouldn't wash a quilt without one these days. I just washed a quilt for friend, and the color catcher came out bright red. Imagine what that could have done to the quilt!

[Melody]

I always give a box of color catchers with every quilt. I also use that many binding clips, I love them.

[Lynnea]

Please take this in the nicest possible way..but...YOU ARE INSANE!! As I was reading the post, I kept thinking "There is no way she uses that many clips. I'll have to leave a comment and ask her." But then I got to the end and just thought "HOW INSANE!" :-)

I'm one to use no more than three, if I do use any.

Thanks for the color catcher tip. Haven't washed a quilt in a long time, but will keep this in mind the next time I do.

[Nancy]

Carrie, I can't wait to see the 'other side' of your new quilt. Binding clips ??? I just got 2 quilts back from my longarm quilter and need to get motivated to bind them. These are just the 2nd and 3rd quilt I have made. My very first quilt was a nightmare to bind...114" X 118" and not one instructor in either of the two classes I took taught anything about binding except how to make a continuos strip. I felt like I was wrestling a grizzly bear the entire time. It turned out fine by the way, not perfect but even with beautiful corners. Also I have to do my entire binding on machine because of 'Neuropathy' in my hands I can no longer do any but the tiniest hand sewing jobs...a label for instance. Can someone help me out here before I start my next two bindings? Thanks too for the tip on 'Color Catcher' because I will be washing these two as soon as they are bound and one is a Batik with some pretty rich purples.

[Wanda Sotkowy]

Do you top your cheesecake with anything like rasberry colis?

[lovetostitch]

ROTFLMAO!!!!! Please, re read Lynnea's remark - don't know her, but echo in the most kindest way - "You are insane"!!! And thank you for giving this gal a big ol' chuckle on this gloomy rainy day (which I like - seems like a sew day) which the ground hog saw his shadow!!! Those clips, which I've never used, were hillarious!! Thanks for the tip on color grabbers, I had never used them either - wishing I was your neighbor to help you with eating the cheesecake. When my husband was working, his secretary used to make one as his Christmas gift - it was to die for!! Happy Monday!! xo

[Marianne]

I'll have to try the clips, I usually just pin every inch of binding, let it sit for a day, and then hand sew it down. I'm a bit compulsive myself!
I've used the Fairfield Bamboo Batting and love it! thanks for the review of the Kyoto Batting!

[Dawn]

I"m a quilters dream request for very thin quilts and select for thin quilts (100% Cotton). They make quilts feel just like the old ones. And request had the best drape.

Now GIRL - you need to learn to use fusible thread to hold down the binding while hand sewing it down. It takes care of the need for having clips, and makes sewing the binding down by hand soooo easy. Have you ever seen/learned how to do that? I showed how it is done on my blog a few months back. I don't live without it!

[dorothy]

i don't get it--why do you need binding clips? i wasn't taught that way so i didn't know people used anything to hold down the binding--i just pinch down the section i'm sewing on and keep moving along. just wondering :-)

[Kathy]

Question/comment about the Color Catchers... I use them for my clothes. I rarely wash my fabric before using it...so I guess the CC would be a great idea...I am pretty much a MODA Girl and don't find that the colors run with those fabrics. So my question...do you use the CC on your yardage or on your finished quilt?

[country things]

I'm still reading and loving your blog, patterns and recipes. Have tried the Red Velvet Cheesecake and absolutely loved it - almost as much as the original cake!!!! But, it's a far cry from ORANGE. Time is slipping by and I'm in a quandry as to what to do next. The orange will most likely give me some inspiration. Have been looking for some orange fats (for cats), but must admit don't have much in my "historical collection". Loved the photo of Rosie!