Thursday, September 4, 2008

Making Stitching into a Quilt!

I finally finished Liberty Bears and when I say finished, I mean FINISHED. I decided not to frame it, but to make it into a mini-wall quilt. Since the fabric is a muted tone, I think it can handle not being protected by glass. Also, there's the cost of framing that I have saved. Yay, me. AND, everything I used was from stuff I already had. Stashbuster Alert!

So, I'll take you through the process.
I found a backing large enough and laid it out. (It had to have these additional features: not clashing with the binding fabric I'd already chosen and not being so dark it could stain the wall.)
Then I added some batting. (Leftovers from Cielo). Then I laid out Liberty Bears on top.I used a square ruler to shift the fabric over. As it was a loose weave, it complied without blocking: yay!
I cut the whole thing--top, batting, and back 1.5" from the edge of the stitching. No question that this was the scariest part!
I pinned around the whole thing every inch, as Theres recommends.
I machine-sewed down the binding, like these instructions at About.com.
I flipped it over and sewed down the binding by hand, using the invisible stitch.
I sewed down two large and otherwise useless stitch markers on the back for hanging it up.

2 comments:

PNWBookGirl said...

I have a counted cross stitch project that has been collecting dust because I didn't have the money to spend on the framing. Darn them for making them not fit standard picture frames!

I think I have enough quilting supplies around the house that I could also make a mini-wall quilt and could then also give it to a niece for her room.

Wow! Thanks for the idea!

Nancy G said...

That is a beautiful wall hanging. I love the way you have incorporate the needle work
into a quilt. Best of both worlds.


Joyfully, Nancy (in Dallas, TX)

http://nldugas-gilmore.blogspot.com/