Friday Finish - Brick Quilt

Ok, I'm really tired, so if something doesn't make sense in this post it is the smoke alarms fault.  We came home last night to it blaring in my room.  And the dogs were going nuts.  We replaced the battery and that didn't work, so I went and got a new battery and that seemed to help.  That is until very early this morning, when it went off again.  I checked the internet and they said vacuum it, and when I did that the orange light went off, so I thought we were good.  I don't know why I felt the need to go back by the house after taking Sharla to work, but I did and it was going off again.  I called Cole and he came and removed the unit totally. I will get it replaced, but my ears are still ringing, and the poor dogs where just batty!!!

But the good news is I finished another quilt this week.  I call this one Bricks, there was no pattern, I just cut the fabric 6 1/2 x 3 1/2.  I'm happy with it overall, but I think a more random layout might have been better. I did learn several things when quilting this one.  The first is that when the tension is set correctly, picking out the stitches is much harder.  Luckily it was a very small section.  I also learned if the back is square it rolls on much easier, something I was told, but hadn't really cared about before.  I cut the binding at 2 1/4" and I love how it looks everywhere but the corners.  I'm still struggling with binding, but with each one I'm learning more.  I found a tutorial on doing the label in the corner so it is sewn in with the binding at Sassafras Lane Designs and I love that so much more than hand sewing on the label.  I made mine smaller than hers, but I printed on the fabric so I didn't need as much space.

The fabric is some I picked up when the local JoAnn's was moving and had all the fabric in their current location 50-75% off.  Is is a good size, I like my quilts pretty long, before washing it was 60 x 72 and it is no about 58 x 70, so it has that nice crinkled look.  

Tucker tried to lay on this quilt at every step, he laid on the fabric as I was ironing it before I cut it, he laid on the quilt top as I ironed it before putting it on the frame and he tried to lay on it as I was sewing the bind on it.  So I'm thinking he wants this quilt!!  Last night I tried to get some photos, but the lighting was poor, but he was quite happy to lay on it. The poor baby is blind and walks into walls, but he can find a blankie anytime there is one within his reach.

So for January I've quilted 3 quilts, which is great.  I've already picked out the one I want to work on next week.  It is one Sharla pieced and it is a very simple quilt, so I'm planning on just stippling the quilting.  I try to quilt on my days off which are Monday/Tuesday, so that means I've got to get the back pieced this weekend.  I'm just hoping for warmer weather this weekend, I don't like the cold, makes my bones creak.

Today I'm linking up with  . . . Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Link a Finish Friday, TGIFF...at Quilty Habit, and Crazy Mom Quilts.