Procrastinating a Binding

Brenna was home over the weekend and chose the above fabrics for a scrappy binding on her High Five.  On Saturday I cut and stitched the fabrics into one long strip but didn't get any further.  I don't sew on Sunday so Monday was the day to get the binding onto the quilt and get it finished.

On Saturday night I had a dream about the binding.  There it was all cut and ready to be sewn on the quilt.  I picked up the quilt, sat at the machine, laid the binding along the edge of the quilt and began to sew.  Great progress, almost done.  I awoke with a start.  Oh, no!  That's not how to sew a binding on a quilt!  (I know because I've tried that before and ended up with a ruffly-edged quilt.)  Whew!  I'm glad it was only a dream.  When I came downstairs the next morning, there was the quilt on the floor exactly where I'd left it.

Bindings are my least favorite part of quilting.  I think a binding can make or break (or at least enhance or detract  from) a quilt.  A fabulous quilt will look less than its best with a poorly measured and sewn binding.  Thus, my trepidation.  Even though my goal was to completely finish the quilt (binding sewn and stitched) on Monday, I found myself coming up with ways to avoid it.

• Better check on Airedale Hannah.  She might be out in the yard digging.
• Oh!  That load of laundry's finished.  Better go change the washer.  (Repeated every half hour or so, at least four times.)
• Look at all those threads on the floor!  Gotta vacuum.  (You know it's bad when I choose cleaning over quilting.)
• Look at all those crumbs.  Someone forgot to clean off the counter after breakfast....
• Breakfast.  I forgot to eat breakfast!  I need to eat so I'll have energy to do that binding.
• Gosh, I'm sleepy.  Maybe a nap will help.
• Etc., etc.  

Determined to meet this goal and be finished with this quilt, I measured the binding, laid it on the quilt, measured again, pinned, and sewed each side.  By late afternoon the binding had been machine stitched in place and I spent the rest of the evening folding it over and blind-stitching it on the back.  I think I got it right.  I don't think there are any ruffles but we'll see after it comes out of the dryer.

The label on the the Mountain Mist Cream Rose batting bags says, "Washable with care, when quilted properly".  What care, exactly?  Regular wash, gentle wash?  Dryer, no dryer?  The quilt is going through a regular wash cycle, and will dry on moderate heat.  If I were a superstitious person, I might cross my fingers....

I'm linking this post to Small Blog Meet, a link-up for bloggers with fewer than fifty follows.  It is hosted at the beginning of every month by Lynne at Lily's Quilts.  If you're a blogger with only a few followers and would like to meet more, please link with the rest of us.

I'm also linking this post to Let's Get Acquainted! Monday Link Up by Plum and June which is hosted this week by Taryn at from Pixels to Patchwork.


--Nancy.
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