Achievement Unlocked: Quilting - Kitchen Rug!

Happy New Year! I've started the New Year off right: by finishing a craft project that was on the table for TOO LONG.

First, the inspiration from Pinterest: 

Source: sewwequilt.com via LibraryElfDesigns on Pinterest

A lovely quilted kitchen floor mat from SewWeQuilt (links above). Now, the issue at hand was what fabric would I use? How big would mine be? We definitely needed a floor mat by the sink.

I had also gained a bag of upholstery fabric scraps that someone else had in mind for a quilt of some sort ages ago (I think last January). So, I started poking through the pieces and found quite a few that would work wonderfully for my general kitchen theme. I cut them into 5 inch or so squares (might be 5.25 inches) and spent a lot of time trying to decide just how I'd lay them out. After that, I used The Workhorse (my 1950s Singer machine) and put the blocks together, put on a backing (light blue terry cloth fabric I had) and quilted it. Here's before the binding:

Look at how nice that all works, although, I think it is technically upside down in this pic. Notice the egg!
Copyright LibraryElfDesigns

Full disclosure: I have NEVER put a quilt together from start to finish. You may remember the Patriotic Quilt I am/was working on. That's a quilt top so far. Tops I have made...mostly. Not sure I've done any blocking/borders/what-have-you yet. I find the idea of hand quilting not something I want to do. Machine quilting, yes. Hand quilting, not so much. I know the Patriotic Quilt could use something (I'm waiting on something from my stash that'll work).

Anyway, since this was my first time quilting from start to finish, I needed help. This Pinterest Pin, titled "Beginning Quilting Series" in my Pin, proved very, very helpful:

Source: diaryofaquilter.com via LibraryElfDesigns on Pinterest

With the help of the "Binding 101" section, I put the binding onto the rug and ta-da! Finished rug! I only needed a little bit of hand sewing because the one corner was too much for the machine.

TA DA! It is frugal and pretty!
Copyright LibraryElfDesigns

There are a few things I learned from this that I need to make note of for next time. So here are...

Lessons I Learned

• The upholstery fabric was great, but the seams are a bit bumpy so standing on it isn't comfortable (ok. I've only done this for about 5 whole minutes so I could be wrong). Next time, I really should do more than the two layers I chose to do out of laziness.
• Next time, don't start the binding in the corner...
• ...but the binding method from the above pin was the EASIEST binding ever. I thought it would be a very difficult task, but not with that machine binding technique.  
• It needs something on the back to stop it from sliding. I have some ideas, just wanted to get that project off my table to free up room for the craft table.
• I can now say I've done a quilt! Even if it is slightly a cheater quilt. I love feeling frugal and thrifty and having something that looks great.
• I would definitely make another rug like this.

The Patriotic Quilt - June 4, 2012

Last night, I'm pretty sure I didn't sleep well. I do know however that at 3 AM, the Zucchini plant was facing the window. When I got up officially at 8:30 AM, the Zucchini plant was turn away from the window and a leaf was ripped.

I know who did it.

And he's fine, but I want to know why he decided last night of all nights to try to eat the Zucchini plant. We know he's been watching it and he likes plants, but I'm surprised he didn't just jump up onto the window sill before. Why did he wait until last night?

He, by the way, is Orange Cat (his online nickname, not his real name).

Since this happened, I decided today must be a good day to put Zucchini outdoors. He's big enough now to survive I think and it gives me a chance to check the seedlings (nothing on that front yet). Of course, it was cold and we had bizarre rain. The tomatoes, in regards to seedlings, are starting to sprout. The Mortgage Lifters are sprouting and most are out (going "YAY! LIFE!"). The Brandywine's are taking their good old time popping out of the dirt ("REALLY? NOW?") but they are there. So that's that in regards to gardening.

What I want to introduce you to today, is the Patriotic Quilt. A scrap quilt that I hope will fit our full size bed and be useful a little before I decide it must move on. It is a cacophony of color: reds whites, blues, and a few other hints of stuff, but mainly, Patriotic with fire works, dog prints, firemen, stars, stripes, and...Cleveland Indians print. Full disclosure here: this house is a Phillies house....HEY! The fabric was from family in Ohio, so that makes sense. It doesn't reflect on us at all. I was using scraps. I'm not going to throw out decent fabric. I justify this with baseball is Patriotic in general.

Hrm...if I could swing it, maybe I should get a yard of Phillies fabric for it?

Anyway, the quilt is about a year old at this point (in terms of working on it). I think. It started because I realized I had a bunch of patriotic scraps of sorts and I wanted to try to make a (scrap) quilt (top) and not a sampler size. One I could use. So, here's where it is at right now:

Patriotic Quilt - Laid out. Not sewn yet.

So, I'm sewing the center part right now and figuring out how I will frame it, then how to sew the other patches around the edge. Yep. Totally winging it again, but this is turning out pretty well.

Lesson Learned (more like the theme of the day)

• I can't do everything I want to do, but I can do something. Just focus on one thing at a time I guess.