Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Lucky I only have one sister!

It is 11.32 pm. I have to leave for my sister's by 9 am, to celebrate her birthday, so why am I up?
Am I madly doing pilates so that I look skinnier than her.....a long running joke, as she once did it for 2 hours before I arrived during one of our little competitive weightloss periods.

No, not much point there, I have skinniest wrapped up at least until a few weeks after she has baby number 3!

Am I madly packing and organizing?

No, of course not, I am a quilter!- what else would I be doing than finishing her birthday present???!!!

This is the kind of joyful bit, the binding.

How do you bind? I cut about a 3 or 3 1/2 inch strip depending on my mood ...and the quilt.Then I iron it in half, iron it in half again and hey presto...ready to attach. Lots of people think this is too thick to work with but I like it, especially if I am doing that horrible thing ...and sewing it down with the machine!!!

I do my fair share of hand stitching down on bindings but sometimes the straight sewing road is the road best travelled, especially if it is a utilitarian quilt that your sister eyed off and intends using in the lounge room on the kids as a cosy wrap. And as she battles to tell which way her sewing machine should sit on the table, she isn't going to notice if I don't stay up until dawn hand sewing her binding!

She is especially not going to notice as this is not her only present....I really love giving presents (as well as getting them.).......and I made her up a photo calendar with all the good pics I have taken of her kids, it arrived today (from Belgium!!) and I am so happy with it that I keep sneaking up to the bedroom to look at it again. I am so excited to see what she thinks I will hardly sleep!

Here are a few sample photos for you.....photos are a little smaller than A4.

My DD got in one with her cousin.

You could add whatever you liked to the pages, I am not sure if you can see but I added , "favourite sister's birthday" to the 7th of August...never hurts to remind!!

The beach tomorrow will be a scenic change for us...this is our present scenic view...this is out my kitchen window where the men are harvesting the barley-2 tonne to the acre for those husbands who care!! Harvest is getting close to finished, we may see the darling husband and father...just in time for the kids to go back to school!

Have a great day....and thanks, I decided to go bloglines and can't believe the time it saves! If only they would invent something so I could comment from there as well! Tracey

13 comments:

Saska said...

I know the feeling to be almost done with harvest. Am hoping we'll have an abudant crop like yours!
Enjoy the beach.

atet said...

Oh, that calendar is lovely! I'm sure your sister will just love it! (and I've GOT to look into doing one of those myself!

Laurie Ann said...

I am going to machine sew the binding down on Elvis when I have it done. My auntie will in no way be able to tell the difference. Sometimes it's just simply the best quickest way.

Kristie said...

I just love the calendar, it is so precious. I sew my binding down most of the time on the machine, unless it is something very special.
Kristie

Elaine Adair said...

Binding? My favorite part. I do 2 1/4 or 2 1/8, machine sew, trim neatly, sew the ends together neatly on the diagonal, and then I Press it over - not sure why, but it neatens things. ANd then hand sew it down - great rewards at that point!

I've NEVER been able to machine sew that binding down accurately, so ... what's a gal to do?

Ruth's Place said...

Wow, the calendar is amazing! That's an awesome gift.

Anne Ida said...

Great pressie, that calendar! Lucky sister to receive that AND a quilt!

~Bren~ said...

I gave my sister a calendar a few years ago...same thing...all pics of her kids. She LOVED it! I do my binding almost the same way. I sew the front on by machine and the back by hand. Now I need to go look at the binding on my 4ss you sent me to see just how you do it.

Carol said...

Oh my! I recognise that address, you have become a Vistaprint nut!!! The calendar looks incredible, she will love it. As for the binding, you obviously work best under pressure, LOL.

Libby said...

Would it be a real, honest to goodness gift from the heart if you weren't actually working on it as you were arriving to the party *s*

Carol E. said...

I just did a calendar, too... for me! I used my own photos of various places and scenes... not people. It was so fun! I can hardly wait to do another one to give someone as a gift. Who?? hmm. You never know!! By the way, I often do machine-bindings, too, if I figure the person won't even notice or know the difference. It sure saves time!

Sweet P said...

The calendar is a wonderful idea for a birthday gift. I hope you had a wonderful visit with your sister.

Helen said...

That calender looks lovely! Nearly a special a gift as getting a quilt! Two beautiful pressies!