Recently, I decided to have a go at making a mini quilt. A shortcut mini quilt, even. I wanted to practice quilting on my home machine before tackling something larger. So, as I seem to do lately, off to the Fat Quarter Shop’s free pattern library I went. The Mini Charm Box seemed just the ticket. A couple of mini charm packs and next to nothing in background fabric and I was on my way.

It took me a couple of hours to put together the center of the quilt and another half hour to add the border. I basted and quilted it a few days later. I went ahead and made the binding too, but saved the pressing till later.

Last night, when I got home from work, I had an hour of downtime while rice cooked and kids played. Perfect time get that binding attached in hopes of some late night hand sewing. I got started pressing but when I got to the second of two seams, I discovered I had put it on backwards. The seam faced the wrong way. So, I ripped it out and redid it.

Wrong. Again. (That’s 2 if you’re keeping count) I sewed it in the wrong direction. So I sewed it in the right direction. Ripped out the errant stitches, trimmed it and…

It was backwards again. (3) So I fixed that. It was right this time:

Happily, and only moderately irritated with myself, I set to work, attaching the binding to the quilt. I mitered all the corners nicely, and got the whole thing on. When it came time to sew the ends of the binding together, I set to work, sewed it, trimmed it, and…

Backwards. (4) I said some very bad things and ripped out the stitches. Of course this time, it had been measured and trimmed so that was no excess. Surgery would be required.

And so, surgery is what I did. I pulled out the leftover binding to attach and give me more fabric to work with. And attach it I did, in the wrong direction. Naturally. (6) At this point I ceased to take pictures. I ripped out and redid the extension. Backward. (7)

And that is how it sits to this very minute. I promptly turned off the sewing machine, went up to the kitchen, cracked open a beer, and made supper. The quilt is still sitting in the sewing room, judging me with it’s backwards binding hanging from one side. I’ll get it in the end. I can and have bound things before. But I haven’t forgiven the quilt yet, so it’s still sitting in time-out. Do you put projects in time-out? Sometimes it’s the only way we come come to terms with each other.

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YoM day 167: Sock knitting

YoM day 168: Quilting

YoM day 169: Sock and shawl knitting

YoM day 170: Sock knitting

YoM day 171: Sock knitting and quilting

YoM day 172: Quilting

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Happy making!