Sunday, July 22, 2012

It's a Jungle out There: Part II



Two weeks ago, I left you with the finished top for the quilt I am making for my upcoming nephew, made in Patty Reed's Jungle Babies.  Last week, instead of finishing it, as I should have, I just cut out the binding.  I put in a long day in the sewing room yesterday and finally finished it.


I am a big believer in doing things my own way.  When I first started quilting (receiving no formal instructions), it never occurred to me to use a plain colored fabric for the quilt backing or binding.  It just seemed to me that you chose a fabric that matched the front.  I also never thought to use invisible thread (or plain white) - I thought you'd use a thread that compliments that fabric.  What can I say; I don't think like a normal person.  Thus, I used the Jungle Babies Patch fabric for the back, another for the binding, with green and brown thread for the quilting.


One thing I always do with my quilts is use cotton batting. While polyester has the benefit of not shrinking, the cotton will shrink with the fabric. I also prefer natural fibers; both because they're easier on the skin (IMHO), but trimmed batting can go int the compost (where all my natural fabric scraps go). Has anyone ever tried bamboo batting?


Lydia update: she now weighs 4.5 lbs (slightly more than 2 kg), doubling the weight she was when we got her nearly two months ago.
All of quilts go through a rigorous cat-approval process.

2 comments:

  1. OMG, I can't decide which is cuter - the quilt, or the kitten. Okay, the kitten, but only by a narrow margin! ;) Great work, Super-Auntie-to-Be!!

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    1. Thank you. I'm sure Lydia appreciates your approval of her cuteness. She certainly is, but she's such a stinker. When I took her to the vet the other day (for her shots), the vet said "Well, she sure is cute, but she's got trouble written all over her."

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