Quilted and embroidered All-In-One Tablet Case

Drawing using the mouse on a daily basis is difficult for the wrist and time consuming. I know it from my own experience because I'm doing this for years.
Recently I went to the next level: using a graphic tablet. For now, my brain still believes it is a mouse pad and I tend not to go near the edges with the pencil, but it is so fun to see my doodle on the screen, that I'm sure I'll get used to it.
Because I don't need it all the time, I have to protect it from dust and scratches when standing aside. And so comes the reason to create a new sewing pattern.

All-In-One Tablet Case

I have not found in my closet fabrics to match it, so I quickly painted a piece of cloth. While it was drying, I had drawn and digitized a cat face. Don't ask me why a cat, it just came to me as I was drawing.

I embroidered...

...and quilted the front panel...

...I quilted the back panel and added my little label.

I even quilted a little ball of string for the cat. Do you see it? It's above the label.

"All-in-one" means that the case keeps inside not only the tablet but also the needed accessories, in this tricky zippered pocket.

And this is my All-In-One quilted and embroidered Tablet Case.

I hope you like it as much as I do.

Have a beautiful day, my dears!

How to finish the quilt - The Self binding method

I decided to try different methods for finishing the quilts. 

Until now, the only way I did this was sewing a folded in half strip of fabric around the outside of the quilt.

This time, I used the one known as the self-binding method.

Here are the steps I followed finishing my recent Forever Together quilt:

The quilt had the backing and batting wider than the top.

1. After I quilted it so that not overcome the edges of the quilt top,  I laid the quilt on the working table. Using the scissors, I trimmed first, the batting right to the edge of the top.

2. Then I trimmed the backing, 1" wider than the quilt top all around.

3. On one side of the quilt, I began folding the edge of the backing in half so that the raw edge lines up with the edge of the quilt top.

4. I folded it again so that overlapping the quilt top by ½ " and pinned in place.

5. At the corner, I folded the backing edge like in the photo below.

6. I continued on the next backing side, by folding it first in half ...

...and then folding it again in half, overlapping the quilt top by ½ " so that obtaining a neat mitered corner. I pinned it in place and I continued all the way around the quilt until I had the whole backing folded and pinned. 

7. I stitched close to the edge. 

And that was all.

Conclusions:

This method is good when: 

- you are sure that the quilt edges are straight because you can't square it up;  

- the backing fabric looks good next to the quilt top fabric, as it will be used for binding too; 

- you don't mind that the quilting stitches might be visible over the binding, on the back side of the quilt. In this regard, when quilting, backstitch when reaching the quilt top edges.

It is a quick and easy method to bind a quilt. You don't have to take out the quilt of the sewing machine, you don't have to join the ends of the binding.

I will use it again, for sure.

Have a beautiful sewing week, my dears!

Forever Together quilt

It's finally done!

The quilt edges are so wavy because of the wire fence pattern.

I name it "Forever Together", inspired by the lovely couple who will own it.
The design embodies an old traditional motif, the Tree of Life, which I gave a particular layout, making it out of two mirrored stylized trees, one composing the top half of the quilt and the other - the bottom half, as you look at the picture above.
This is The Marriage Tree and brings together His Tree of Life and Her Tree of Life (the two quilt's halves).
At least that was my vision, for the sake of quilt's aesthetics.

The quilt measures 72" x 86".
I chose to try binding it using the quilt back. It was so simple, fast and fun! I am sure I will use this method again.

I have a few conclusions arising out of using this method, but they will make the subject of a  future post.
The quilt is not heavy, despite its dimensions, due to the cotton batting.

For the first time, I used for quilting Aurifil thread 50 wt. My sewing machine liked it so much that there was no need of any special tension adjustment. The thread has not broken even once.

I also liked so much using this Aurifill thread that I was close to change the quilting design on the go, by adding a denser pattern. Eventually, I said to myself to let the things as I initially thought and to preserve the thread for a future project having a quilting design that will put it in better value.

Until next post,
Have only beautiful days, my dears!

I'm linking to Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River

A sneak peek of a new quilt

I'm about to finish a big quilt (72" x 86").
I just washed it and while it dries I will prepare the binding.

Of all stages of working on a quilt, I really love piecing, I'm not quite fond of quilting and I do not like at all binding.
I'm thinking about to try another method to finish this quilt. If so, my quilt will have white edges, as this is the backing's color. If I would choose the usual binding method, I would like to make it solid beige.
I'm still pondering over it.

A serious problem I have when making large quilts is handling them under the arm of my little sewing machine while quilting.

I designed the quilting pattern so that requires pushing the quilt mainly back and forth under the needle because almost the whole space is filled with the folded quilt, blocking the right-left or circular directions. That's why I used only straight and slightly curved quilting lines.

Moreover, I organized the process of quilting in sections, filling the space from the quilt's center towards the right edge, this way getting increasingly more space, by unfolding the quilt.
Oh, how hard it is to make yourself understood in a foreign language! I hope you understand something of what I described here.

I forgot to tell you how wonderful I feel while sewing, covered by the quilt hanging sides, at over 30 degrees Celsius (over 86 degrees Fahrenheit) in a lovely august day.

Back to work now.
Let's hope that the binding will go smoothly!

Have a beautiful day, my dears!