Machine stitched binding

I hate to stitch by hand so I usually stitch the binding on my quilts using my sewing machine.

For most of my quilts I cut strips 2.25" wide.
For bed quilt or if I use a thick batting or heavier fabrics I cut strips 2.5" wide.

Fold the binding on the back of the quilt and pin.

Stitch in the ditch using a walking foot.
Match the color of thread with the background fabric.
I used invisible thread.

The binding on front of the quilt

The binding on back of the quilt

Don't stitch by machine the binding on back if you want to enter a quilt in a competition ! The judges don't like this !

I renew my stock of sewing machine needles. This time I bought them from Romania !
(de la acest magazin din Sibiu http://www.florencetech.ro/).

I had such a good experience with Topstitch needles ! I use them for quilting.
Topstitch #90/14 for the majority of threads (including invisible or metallic),
Topstitch #100/16 for heavier threads.

And these are the needles for my future bags :)
They are great to stitch and quilt through heavy fabrics or multiple layers of fabrics.

Win this quilt !

Enter the contest hosted by Michele Foster on Quilting Gallery.
One of the prizes will be this shadow trapunto quilt I made a few days ago.

It measures 14.5" x 14.5"

Enter and Have fun !

Some of my old quilts

I didn't make too many bed quilts in my quilting adventure.

This pineapple quilt was made in my first years of quilting. I used 18 fabrics to make it. I rarely use so many fabrics in a quilt. I was so proud of my fabric collection !
I am proud of the borders too, because usually I am too lazy to add borders to quilts...
And it is not paper pieced...

From the same fabrics I made even a small quilt. I hope one day I will make a miniature using pineapple blocks.

This quilt was entirely made from batiks. It is such a pleasure to use batiks for piecing.

And me with long hair... a picture of long ago ...

Roomy tote bags

The break from making bags didn’t last too much !
I spent most of the week making these totes. Because of this I am behind with my shadow trapunto pattern ! Actually, the pattern is ready but I am still working on a few surprises. I hope all will be ready in ten days.

Back to the totes: I made them using different fabrics. I am glad I found out a way to use those pretty fabrics which aren’t suitable for quilts !

The totes are really roomy (14” x 22” x 5 “).

But they can become smaller, with just a simple trick ! And they get another shape !
Look at these pictures :

I love the new shape !

We have a winner !

Thank you so much to everyone who entered my giveaway. I was so happy to read your enthusiastic comments !

The lucky winner of this little quilt is…

Nancy from Calgary !

Congratulations, Nancy ! Please send me your address !

If you're not the lucky winner, please come back soon ! There will be other chances for you !