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Tuesday, March 8, 2011

A Sense of Accomplishment

I finally finished the pink and blue quilt I was working on.  Don't you love that feeling of accomplishment when you've finished a quilt top?  Even more so when you're satisfied with the result! I've made more than a few quilts where I haven't loved it at the end, not because it didn't look great, but somehow....we spent too much time together.  I was never so happy when it was finally finished....funny 'cause I was so excited when I began!  Then...you have a break from it while it's gone to the quilter.  You begin working on something else - different fabrics - different palette - different blocks....you forget about how you felt.  When the quilt comes back from the quilter, you're loving it all over again!

Has that happened to you, too?

What comes right after completing the quilt top?  Yup...making the backing, binding, and the label.  Most of the time, I make the binding right away.....that is if I know what fabric I want to use for the binding.  In this case, I want to wait to see how the quilt looks after it's quilted, so no binding for now, but I did make a couple of labels. 


The large quilt I just finished is called The Farmer's Daughter.  It will be unveiled in a few weeks....I promise!  I print my labels on my computer using background fabrics from my stash that will match the others in the quilt.  I then add borders to the label from the leftover scraps, and turn the borders under creating a frame.  Then, the framed label is sewn onto the backing fabric.  That way, it will be quilted right into the quilt.  I really like doing it this way because I don't have to piece it into the backing.  I love how labels look when they're pieced in, but I just won't take the time to do it, so this is a good option for me.  Another nice thing is that by creating labels like this, I can add them to a quilt at any point.....later after they've been quilted, or to an older project, or an antique I purchased.  Nice to have options!


The small version of The Farmer's Daugher ~ the quilt I will be giving you the freebie directions for ~ is called Sugar Mountain.  When I print labels on my computer, I do two at a time.....so while I was in "label mode" I made this one too.  Don't you love the backing fabric?!  It's from the Little Pink Stars line by Margo Krager for Blue Hill.  It was the perfect fabric for both of my quilts....especially since it's the same color palette.  The blocks are done, and I will be sewing the top together today.  If all goes well, I hope to have the photo and pattern for you by the end of the week. 

Keep your fingers crossed!  Pam

3 comments:

  1. Pam, what program do you use to create your labels and how do you get the fabric to go in to your printer. I would like to start doing mine this way. Thanks for the info and your time.
    Can't wait to see the quilts!

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  2. Woo hoo Pam, for finishing your Farmer's Daughter. Yes, quite an accomplishment I'm sure. Can't wait to see the full pattern for Sugar Mountain! You are so kind and generous to share with us. I also like this background fabric.

    I'm with Cheryl, any label making info you'd care to share with us sure would be helpful. I'd love to save money by not having to buy the expensive sheets of label fabric. Thanks in advance. :-)

    Keep up the great work!

    Blessings, Karla

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  3. I, too, would be interested in learning how you use your background fabric so the print will not wash out from the label when the quilt is washed.

    Also, did you draw those cute little log cabin blocks with the heart in the center or are they a stamp?

    I am terrible when it comes to doing labels -sometimes omit them - shame on me! Sew, please help.

    Thanks, Charlotte

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