I’ve had some lovely time to sew this past week, but no big project to work on. I piddled around, doing a bit of organizing, and found several Hungry Animal Alphabet panels I’ve had for some time now. Two years ago, I made up two for the quilt show shoppe and they both sold on the morning of the first day. So, with our next show coming up in May, I thought it would be good to quilt the panels and finish them for the shoppe. It is unlikely that I’ll ever have another reason to do one for a family member or friend, so out they go. I need the fabric out for Stashbusters anyway. I put one on the longarm with a backing of some Bunnies By The Bay fabric and Hobbs cotton batting.
I still love this line, so cute. Some things are just so adorable and timeless, they should never be discontinued. I quilted it with white thread. The pantograph is China Sea from Urban Elementz.
Doesn’t matter how many times I’ve done one, I have to stop every now and then and just look for the items in the squares that start with the letter. Cute donkey, with his duck friend are eating donuts. Is that a dawn sunrise in the window? Oh, he’s wearing dungarees! OK, stop it, get back to sewing.
I made the binding from the remnants of the backing.
The binding is sewed onto the front side, then folded over and pinned with just a few pins. It went to the den so I can do the handwork while watching TV.
Next small project this week was to finally get my burgundy pants hemmed. I didn’t have four cones of burgundy serger thread, so it sat for a while. I looked at using brown, and black, but none of the other things I tried looked good. So, I procrastinated on it for a few weeks. Then, this week, I decided that I needed to make a decision and get it done. I scrounged around in my thread bins until I came up with four dark red threads. They are not all the same color, but they were close enough. I threaded the serger with them, and serged off the excess.
Then, I turned the hem up, and pressed it. See a detailed explanation in my post Quick Method Pants Hemming.
Next, fold it back to expose the edge.
Use the blind hem stitch to sew the hem. Use a hemming foot which has a flange to bring up a bit of extra thread so the hem lies flat.
When the hem is done, on the right side, it looks a bit puckered. But this is where that flanged foot makes a difference.
A quick press, and the hem lies flat and next to invisible.
With that project done, I went back to the panels. I have enough of this tossed alphabet coordinating print to back two panels. I wanted to wash the panels as they are red and I am always afraid of bleeding. That meant washing this yardage too, in a separate load. So, I pinned it up and got it ready. This technique is detailed in my post A Brilliant Tip, that shows how to wash lots of yardage without the fabric twisting.
The next day, I was able to load the fabric, and get the first red panel started. Once again I am using Hobbs 100% cotton fabric.
It is quilted in white thread, in both top and bobbin. The pantograph is Fascination from Willow Leaf Studio, one of my favorites for its long, flowing curves and quick quilting.
Did you see the elephant is wearing earmuffs? I know, I just can’t help it.
I got about halfway through this panel. I’ll finish the quilting this afternoon. That is, if I can stop looking for alphabet words. The giraffe is having fun in his gazebo with the green roof. He’s wearing gloves and picking grapes.
I have one more panel to do for the shoppe, and one last panel that I am seriously thinking of making up for myself. I’d need some borders to make it big enough for an adult lap quilt. But every time I see it, it makes me smile. I might just have to do that.
Did you work on projects this week?
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From My Carolina Home 
That fabric is beyond darling. No, it should never be discontinued; it’s timeless. I love what you are doing with it and hope you show the finished piece!
I just had\ a colorfast experiment that could have been bad. I got a t-top from Land’s End in red and regretfully dripped gyro sauce on it. Taking a damp white washcloth I started rubbing it out and yes — the washcloth began turning pink. So, I hand washed it and boy, what a lot of pink water! I was glad I just hadn’t thrown it in the laundry or all my underwear would be pink, too!
I love those panels and agree that it is a timeless fabric. I think making a lap quilt is a wonderful idea, especially since you get such joy looking at it.
I have been cutting up scraps this week in order to make 2 scrap quilts. What I can’t use for the first, I end up cutting into 2”x3.5” pieces for the second. It’s nice to feel like I am using up my stash. I don’t know that I will complete anything this month, but hopefully over the next 2 it will all even out.
Those quilts are adorable, and I would have likely spent hours trying to figure out all the words, lol. I hope some mom/dad or grandma/granddad gets lots of hours of fun snuggling a little one doing the same thing.
My sewing mojo has been back in full force finally. I finished sewing all the blocks together for my A Ribbon Runs Through It quilt a couple of weeks ago. Next up is borders, but I need to clean a large floor space to lay it out and measure for them. Then I had a throw size top that I quilted using edge to edge on my embroidery machine – the first time trying that and I love the results. I followed a video from Patrick Lose for the corners on the binding for that top, and they are the best corners I’ve ever done (I’m only a few years into making quilts, so not much experience). I also embroidered a few towels just for fun. It feels so good to make real progress on projects! Sending good vibes to all of us for happy time with our projects!
Each time you quilt that fabric I think how cute it is. Those will go as quickly as the others, I am sure.
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Fun projects! I did finish 2 panel quilts myself (and ordered 2 more). They are part of a semi-permanent collection of baby quilts at the ready. I am also working on a a panel quilt for a blog hop and another baby quilt…all busy but only one needs to get finished today or tomorrow so I can prewash. Glad you are having fun in your studio!
Those panels are so adorable – I especially love the one with the green gingham border! I would be just like you – always looking for all the things that start with that letter. It’s not surprising that they are popular in the guild shoppe!
It’s so disappointing when manufacturers discontinue items. There’s nothing in the alphabet panel that would go out of style. I’m not surprised they sold so quickly, baby quilts seem to be the first thing to go at our shows. This week I’ve been working on a quilt from FQS’ Perfect 10 book for layer cakes. I’d like to make it again using yardage instead of a variety of prints. One of these days I’ll wise up & think ahead so I buy a layer cake’s companion fabric for a border. By the time I get around to using them there’s never any yardage left.
Carole !
You are so funny !!
I also get “lost” in all the little pictures going on in some of the fabrics 🤣🤣
I’m sure I have this panel in the stash somewhere – I love it!
The Alphabet panel quilts are so cute. I have a bit of that fabric left in my stash. Think I will get it out and sew up a baby quilt with it too. I have a serger and do pants hemming the same way. My serger is 20 years old but it still meets my needs. I can complete a pair of jammie pants or shorts for the littles in no time. I love the tip for pre-washing fabric. I serge the raw ends to prevent fraying but the fabric certainly does tangle. Will definitely do this in the future. Putting the blocks together on my latest Modern Quilting mystery quilt, Transparency. I learned a lot making this one.
I also scrounged up a couple of these panels and it was so hard to let them go! I made a little side panel for them to make them big enough for the required size for our hospital sewing group, but luckily found some from the same line. Wish that artist would make more! Some the same, some different…..or art work for the walls.
Such fun alphabet panels, they will sell in a flash, I’m sure.
The elephant is eating eggplant, and the giraffe is using gardening tools. LOL!! I can see how that would turn into a fun game as you’re quilting. Love those panels.
Wow! I am so happy to have read your tip on washing yardage by pinning the selvedges. I too am a dedicated prewasher of all washable fabric and always dread those twisted long lengths. This would have been so useful about a month ago when I scored a huge amount of fabric from an auction, but at least I know now for the future.
What more can be said. I just wish I was smart enough to make on. we are expecting #9 in August. She, or He ,will hopefully be the caboose but then we though #8 was. My DnL is amazing dealing with each of them. Oldest will soon be 14 and the present youngest just had his 2nd. birthday. Getting hard to keep up with all of them.
Oh Carole, you really cracked me up finding clues on the alphabet quilt! How about the alligator in an argyle sweater hold a bushel of apples next to an awing? It’s simply adorable. I know how hard it is to part with a panel you really, really like. Thanks for the tip about folding and pinning long pieces of fabric before washing.
Of course, I worked on projects!!! lol. But, I had to stop to find fabric for borders and backs for 6 quilts that were donated, but too small for QOV’s. Borders are all cut and all but one sewn on. Even made the back for one!!
Love those panels! I actually moved a couple of projects forward this week. A table topper I started last fall, and my cross stitch rabbit, which I have been working on for two years! I also made a sample block for a quilt idea, so it was a productive week sewing.
I just love your silly side when it comes out….so glad you had fun with the alphabet this week. I’ve read your blog for years but seem to have missed both the tips on hemming and washing yardage. I probably did read them but they’ve gotten misplaced in my senior brain!
those alphabet panels are so nice……..
They are so adorable! Things like this should never be discontinued.
i completely agree….. These ones are timeless…….