Red Red Binding

I've got a reggae song going through my head this week.  This could be why.

Red Red Binding!  I'm singing it to the tune of Red Red Wine by UB40.  Wonder how it happens that everything I'm working on lately has a red binding?
Since this is my first post in 3 weeks, I should have 3 finished quilts to show. Luckily, I do!

The first is my Ocean Waves quilt, which I am embarrassed to say I pieced way back in 2012.  Above is a photo of the top.

And here's the finish!  My friend Joey did the quilting, or it would probably still be in the closet.

Can you see the wonderful fan quilting she did on it?  Exactly right for this time period reproduction quilt.

Instead of a label, I just wrote directly on the back with a Pigma pen.
I am so amazing grateful for Joey's expertise.  God bless the longarm quilters!

When Joey was here recently for a weekend, I was working on this quilt for charity.  It's the latest from American Patchwork & Quilting magazine's Sew Giving column, and was designed by Jo Kramer and her daughter Kelli Hanken of Jo's Country Junction.  (Great daily blog, BTW.)  The name of this quilt is Make the Connection, and the pattern is in the August 2017 edition of the magazine.  I changed it a little, of course.  I just can't help it.

In the original, the design sort of steps down across the quilt.  I made mine step down to the center, and then back up again.  I also used light blue solid instead of dark blue.

It is so great to find batting, backing, and binding waiting in the stash.  And to use them up!

The last quilt with red binding is my Red Clover quilt.  I finished the top in June, and it's actually already quilted.  This must be a record for me, as I'm normally a prize procrastinator.

It helps that this was a small quilt, and I did really simple quilting on it.

Backing, batting, and binding were all in the stash.
Now I'd like to introduce you to my new sewing room helper.

Ta-da!  My new old iron.  Joey and I went to Goodwill when she was here, and I scored this old black beauty for $9.00.  There is a setting for permanent press, so you know it's been around a long time.

She's made in the USA (!) and honestly is the best iron I've had in 30 years.  My favorite feature?  NO AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF!!!  She also gets so hot I don't need steam.  And I can turn her off without unplugging her.  I only hope she lasts awhile.
Can you believe it's almost August?  Summer will soon be over!  Ackkk!  I still have a lot of summer
stuff I want to do!  So I'd better get after it.
Have a wonderful week!
Cheers,
Sylvia@Treadlestitches
I'm linking up with Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts, and with Myra at Busy Hands Quilts.

Block Busters!

Hurray for July!  Isn't this year going by quickly?  I was in Oklahoma visiting my mom on July 1st.  I just had to borrow her computer to find out what the new color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge was!  Couldn't wait til I could get home to my stash and get started.
As you can see I've been piecing away the hot days.

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for July is blue, and these above are my Buckeye Beauty blocks.  Four of them are made from real vintage feedsacks, and four of them are made from 1930s reproduction fabrics.

This one is cut from feedsacks ...

and this one is repros.  Gotta love the chicken print in the four patches.

Now for the houses!  I really got carried away this month.  I just have so many blue scraps!  In the center of this photo is my favorite, a bookworm house.  I'm sure you can't see it, but the little bookworm is holding up a sign that says "Let's Read!"  Thus warming this librarian's heart.

It's always Halloween at this house, with characters from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

This one was pieced on the 4th of July.  Happy Birthday, U.S.A.!

Parrots on the roof?  The address here must be Margaritaville.

Star Wars house, for two of my grandchildren who are HUGE fans.

Sharks!  Don't even think about ringing the doorbell!

Golf club house in the center.  I don't golf, but I had the fabric.

Trains live here, even though it's not a roundhouse.

Of course there's a doghouse.  And paw prints in the sky.

Duckies!  Once upon a time, duckies were my grandson Henry's favorite thing in the world.

Another orange door, to go with this dotty house.  Did you catch the bookworms on the roof?

Fish, and a fire engine.  The letter of the day must be F.
I actually made TWELVE houses this month.  I just couldn't stop.  Maybe this is getting out of control.
Okay, one last block.

This is the June block for Pat Sloan's Children's Library Quilt.  (If you scroll down after you click the link, you can get to the earlier blocks.)  I changed the block slightly, by replacing the center 4 patch with a 4.5 in. square. 
What should be at the center of any children's library?  Children!  My center square is a print with lots of cute kids.
Also, this happened.

The raspberries are ripe!  I'm picking about a quart a day of the red, and half that of the black.
Summer is so delicious.
Time for a glass of iced tea and a good book.
Have a wonderful week!
Sylvia@Treadlestitches
I'm linking up with Myra at Busy Hands Quilts (check it out, she has a scrap give-away this week!) and Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts.