Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Layer Cake Sampler Quilt #7

After getting my Layer Cake Sampler quilt back from Valerie after she quilted it, I was ready for the binding to go on. Now that should be easy right, especially since I had the fabric picked out for it. Well it was not that easy. I was going to use the same fabric as the border but as I laid the fabric next to the border I realised with the sweeping curve in the fabric it would not look even around the edge. So out with the other options from the left over fabrics and the only one I was happy with was the fabric I used for the sashing but there wasn't enough.  I stopped in at A Quilter's Odyssey hoping Kate still had some.  It was all gone. Just my luck! I picked a different fabric which just happened to be from the same range the sashing fabric came from. So I brought what I needed thinking the problem was sorted. Boy was I wrong. When I put this fabric against the border fabric I didn't like it, it was the wrong blue. Grrrrr!
 So after all this fussing I finally went back to my first choice, the left over sashing fabric and after remeasuring the fabric I could get the right amount of strips I needed if I cut the strips 2 1/4 inches instead of 2 1/2 inches. So that is what I did and now I am happy because I got to use the fabric I wanted and I have another completed quilt.

Now I had 2 squares left over from the quilt. So I thought with all the extra block layouts Amanda 's blog offered I would make a matching cushion with them. I wish I had thought of that while I was doing the blocks because I ended up with 2 brown squares, oh well. This is how I made the cushion. I made the block up and measured the completed block (16 1/2 inch) 

and then cut 2 x 16 1/2 x 11" rectangles from the brown floral. Then I folded and pressed a scant 1/4" along one 16 1/2 inch side on each rectangle, then fold and press again. This gives you a neat finished edge with no raw edges. Sew it in place. Then laid the block on the table right side up 

and laid the 2 rectangles on top right sides facing down with the overlap of fabric in the middle of your cushion.
 Pin it well 

and sew around the outside of the cushion with a 1/4" seam.

 Finally you turn the cushion right side out and insert a cushion insert and you have finished a quick easy matching cushion. 

Until next time
Keep Stitching
Cynthia



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