Snow Much Fun in Wool, April's Block

  

I have been enjoying working with wool for my second version of this year's BOM. I've been having Snow Much Fun! This month's block is an adorable snowman with his camper. Since it's a winter quilt I had to decorate the camper with a Christmas wreath and Christmas lights. I have been machine stitching my wool applique with Lana wool from Aurifil. I have loved the combo of the wool with the Primo Plaids from Marcus Fabrics. It's going to be such a cozy quilt. It'll be a fun quilt to put out next winter.

I have also altered how I am doing the 'snowball' blocks on this version of the quilt.

Instead of piecing the block as shown, I am starting out with a 14 1/2" cream block and then adding 5 1/4" green blocks to the corners, right sides together, then sewing corner to corner to form the triangles on each corner of the block. I then trim the excess.

Trace all of the applique shapes onto freezer paper and iron it onto your wool pieces. Then cut all the pieces out.

Use a button hole stitch to machine stitch the wool pieces onto the background block. I am using 12wt Lana Wool thread from Aurifil. (color - 8087 brown) I'm using a regular 50wt in my bobbin thread. I'm using a 75/11 needle... 

Camping Snowman

April's Block

For this version of the quilt, I am using Primo Plaid flannels from Marcus Fabrics and for the applique pieces, I really like the combo of the wool with the Primo Plaids.   To finish these cute designs, I embellished my squares with some special buttons from Just Another Button Company. I do have these buttons available in my Etsy Shop. Pattern can be found on the Quilt Doodle Designs Website. April's block is a Free download this month only.  I will not be sewing my buttons onto my quilt top until after I have it all done and quilted. This BOM will be offered the first of every month. Like always, it's FREE for the month that the block is out, then there's a small fee if you have to play catch up to get the block. To make sure that you don't miss any of it,  join my mailing list. Not only will you get all of the BOM 2018 postings and updates, but you will also hear about all sorts of other fun quilty goodness too!

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Happy Quilting!

Cindy and Belvedere

Double Magic Binding

While out doing my trunk show at different quilt groups this summer, I noticed that everyone was drawn to my machine binding on a few of my quilts. They all had my decorative binding on them. It's what I call my Double Magic Binding. I discovered the technique a few years ago, it's a fun way to bind a quilt.  I can't take credit for coming up with the idea, there are several tutorials out there describing the same or similar process... but I want to share this wonderful technique with you again. It's a nifty way to bind a quilt and it finishes the edge off so nicely and it's all MACHINE DONE! (SCORE!!!-HAPPY DANCE....) As you may have all heard me whine before, I hate hand binding a quilt. Well maybe hate is too strong a word, but it's not my favorite part of finishing a quilt. No... now that I think of it, I really do dislike hand binding a quilt, it takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r...... my sister loves it, and will do binding for me when we are at retreat together. But unfortunately she lives an hour and a half away, and I don't always have the time to run a quilt to her. Plus she has a busy preschooler at home! Her time is limited too,  so this method is perfect for me! So here is my little tutorial on how to do this wonderful binding to finish your quilt...


For this binding method you will need two 'colors' a main binding color and an accent color.
Here are the two fabrics I'm using for this quilt. Measure your quilt edge to bind and add another 12" or so ... Then cut enough strips from your main color to piece together a binding strip long enough to go around your quilt. You will then cut your strips 1 1/2" x wof (44-45")

Then cut enough strips for your accent color. These strips will be 1 3/4" x wof.

Sew all the strips together end to end using a mitered seam to reduce bulk. You will then have a super long strip of your main color and a super long strip of your accent color.

Sew your main color strip and your accent color strip together
long sides together using a 1/4" seam.

Iron your seam to go towards the 'main' fabric.

Then iron lengthwise with wrong sides together to make
your binding. See it makes a narrow decorative edge. Looks like piping!
So cool!

Sew the binding onto the back side of you quilt with your 'accent' color facing up using a 1/4" seam. The decorative piping edge is facing down on your quilt. Miter the corners like in my Machine Binding 101 Quilt Tutorial. Sewing your binding on is the same process as 'usual' at this point.

Here's where the magic happens.... Wrap the binding around to the front side of your quilt and stitch in the ditch between the main fabric and accent fabric. I used an 'invisible' thread to sew my binding on. You can also use a thread that matches your fabric. Miter the corners matching up the 'piping' seam. Sew all away around your quilt.



Doesn't it look like piping? I love how this finishes off the quilt edge.
Makes it special... to make a wider accent on the quilt binding you could add 1/4" to the width of the accent strip when cutting your strips out for the binding.

It also looks fabulous from the back!

 I love this method! It takes a little extra prep work but it's totally worth it in the end!

 I have been working on a few quilts for Christmas gifts and this technique adds a little special touch to your finished quilt. It's really worth the extra time making the binding strips.

Let's bind some quilts!!!

Happy quilting,

Cindy