Quilted? Notebook Cover

Have you ever made the same project so many times that you just KNOW how to do it?  I know I have made so many of these quilted notebook covers that I should be able to do it in my sleep.  Ha!

After a weekend of no sewing, and one Monday evening of quilting even more on the current quilt, I thought "A little easy project is in order!"  So I decided to make another quilted notebook cover.  I had some string block made from a jelly roll.   Actually I had made a "jelly roll race" top. When it was done I didn't like so I cut it into squares, on a bias.  I also sewed the partial pieces that were left into blocks.  They have been sitting for some time.  I grabbed a couple of those and proceeded to use them in this project. I cut all the parts and started sewing it together.

OOPS!

What was I thinking?  Apparently not much.  I had the seams almost all sewn when it occurred to me,  "you were supposed to quilt the front layer with the batting before you sew it together."  (okay, I may have added the word "moron" in there too.)  I really didn't want to rip out all those tight stitches.  So I just proceeded to finish it.  

Then a lightbulb went off "Why not quilt it, now?"  Fortunately I didn't quilt over the flaps because I did actually have a lucid thought about that.  (yaay me!) 

So here it is: Front, back and opened out. 

For such a "disaster" in the process, I think it came out pretty good. 

Yes, I make mistakes.  They are a part of the creative process.  I try to make the best of them and I am able to laugh at my own mistakes.  Learning to do that is one of the best gifts I have ever given myself.
How much interest is there in how to make these covers?  Should I do a tutorial or a video or maybe both?
Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Foolishly posted "hate speech" comments will be swiftly removed.

Chinese Coins -Finito

Sorry, I am the "shadow" in the pictures.  While it is very cold here this morning, the sun is shining.

Chinese Coins - Front

Chinese Coins Quilt- Wonky Pieced Back

Finished is always a good feeling.

Quilted -Free Motion Delight

Today I took the runner from yesterday's post and had a wonderful time quilting it.  I did my version of free motion quilting. It is part meandering/stippling and part drawing with the needle.  As in all my work it is heavily influenced by abstraction.  You can click on the pictures to see them bigger.  Just use that back button on your browser to get back here.  I don't want you leaving before I am done! LOL

I did this little loopy border around the edges, just because.
I love using an ecru thread over dark fabric to quilt. It makes the stitches really pop. The down side to that is that every mistake is highlighted too.  Such is life.  Risk is like salt, without it life is bland, but if you overdo it, it can be dangerous.



Ooops, I see fuzz on that burgundy...... well it needs washed to make it crinkly and soft anyway.

I clicked on these pictures - to check them out and found several "birds" in my quilting designs.  They were totally subconscious renderings. I did intend some other shapes that didn't come out so well, but the birds look intentional.   My subconscious is a strange place!

Barbara asked (in comments) if I drop the feed dogs, the answer is Yes I do!   I emailed Barbara, but I thought I would let everyone else know right here.

Crinkly Quilted Goodness

First off, I washed three new lap quilts to get them ready for the sale. How is this for a pile of crinkly soft goodness?



Now, I showed a bit of this quilt earlier when it was just my "framed square" blocks. Well this one is one of my favorite squares. Isn't the little bird on the branch a happy sight?




Here is most of the quilt, some of it hung over the back of my easel and didn't make it into the picture.



I think I love doing wild free-motion quilting. For a while I thought I did too much quilting on this one. Now I understand what Goldilocks was talking about "this one is just right"

Happy Happy, Joy Joy

I am really happy! I finished binding the bright lap quilt. It looks really good. I am not the least ashamed of my free motion quilting. The binding is all machine sewn but it still looks really good.
Here are the pictures. I flipped up one corner so you can see the pieced back. It is simply wide stripes in varying widths- Tan, fuchsia, aqua, fuchsia, then tan again. Enjoy!

Adding to my Etsy Store

I have added a new journal to my Etsy store.
I made it just this morning.

You can go there and look. (I wish you would)

But I will post a picture here too. There are additional views on Etsy.



You might recognize that I took one of the blocks from this post And added to it to make the cover.