End of Summer Catch-Up

I had a fantastic summer with my boys!  But there really weren't many tears when I sat down to my sewing machine in an empty house last week.  They all left for school and work, and I could hear my own thoughts again.  Ahhh....

My Bernina was out for a tune-up, so I did some quilting on the beast.  Lots of it.

I finally finished the flannel Man Quilt.  I used Woolies by Maywood Studio almost exclusively for the front and back (I think one of the reds is something else).  It's got an interesting feel to it, it really does feel like wool without the scratchy bit.  I did a regular cotton binding, though, as I was worried about it being super thick.

Man Quilt, Front
 (yeah, they kind of do look like swastikas, but I assure you, they're the good luck kind, so says Wikipedia)

Man Quilt, Back

That little maze quilting pattern took forever, and then some.  So proud to have this finished!  Still need to wash it, though.  There's a laundry backlog with all the sewing going on.

I also got out a kaleidoscope quilt top that I finished well over a year (or two) ago.  Quilted and bound!

Binding, pre-hand-sewing.

Look at the nifty stars the quilting made on the back!

Earning his keep after school.  Better photos (with sewn binding) to follow.

In the box with the quilt, was a zip lock baggie full of scraps.  And I had some extra batting sitting right there, thread in the machine, why not?  

Happy Camper Hot Pad

Last but not least, and before she started middle school, I was able to get my friend's daughter's graduation quilt to her.  I'd never made a t-shirt quilt before, it was fun trying something new.  The back and binding is Kona Black, and it's stitched in the ditch.  I toyed with the idea of an all-over design, but couldn't think of how to make it work with all the crazy colors.  Pretty cute.

That's it for now.  Phew!

Hope you had a great summer!