WOW 3rd Aug LE and other quilting

Hi Everyone,
Can't believe that July has gone and we are now in August. last three weeks have flown by and I'm not sure what I have really achieved, but it must be a lot because I have lived in my sewing whenever possible. last time I blogged Esther had just released her gorgeous Pomegranate Pattern, this sent me looking for mine as I made it a couple of years ago from pattern in APQ magazine,

It was a great design to make, my first and so far only predominately red quilt though I do have Esther's pattern for Red Delicious that keeps giving me a nudge everynow and then to make a start on.
Background for this is a drape fabric offcut and I just followed the design for my quilting.
Great to read that Esther has found the other vase patterns, hope they are released to us

Have started going to my favourite fabric shop CountryDawn on a Thursday for their morning sit and sew sessions which tend to last for most of the day. I try to take something little to work on such as prep for applique or the like, Took my Christmas baubles the other week as I needed border/binding material and I was surprised at the comments on my technique for joining my binding tails together.
I am sure many do it the same as me as it is video by a McCalls instructor I found on the Ginny Beyer website under tips and tutorials. This is how I join my tails.

open starting end of binding and cut at a 45 degree angle.

This is how it looks when cut

Leave approx 6-8 inch tail and stitch your binding to the quilt as usual.

Stop stitching leaving about a 12 inch gap to where you started sewing.

The bigger gap the easier it is,

Open out the tail and pin it in place along the quilt edge.

Lay the starting tail on top and mark the cut edge to half way.

Use you ruler to make sure your angle is 45 degrees and mark right across the tail.

Move your tail to the cutting mat and mark again a half inch towards the free end, the red line.

This half inch is vital as it is your seam allowance for both tails so don't cut on your first mark.

Video suggests making some cross marks on the first line as a reminder not to cut on it.

Make sure your tails aren't twisted then stitch together with a quarter inch seam

Check the fit along the gap, press seam open, refold and complete your stitching.

This method has made joing my bindings so easy.

Elegant Baubles finished and ready for Christmas.

Have been continuing with my quilting of LE. It was going to be so straight forward or so I thought when I started as I was only going to do what I could manage with my walking foot, However -

once I had done that LE wanted more, It was like she was saying to me, you are not done yet, just get on and make the attempt!!! 

Out came my BSR foot and I thought Oh well here goes and started edge stitching more of my center applique. I remembered what someone had once said to me about FMQ that your quilt is a puddle and you are sitting in the middle of it, it worked and although my stitching is by no means great it is far better than I expected it to be with the size of the puddle that is LE.

Here are some pics with all the applique edge stitched.

My compass has popped even more

I worried about stitching around those berries but it was fine.

Now have to stitch inside edges of my zig zags

Thought my simple zag in the border was enough but it needs more now as well.

Little vase now has definition, fun stitching either side of those tiny stems.

Corner blocks done as well.

I had done a single zig zag along the wider border but it was too open so I decided to add more stitching which has created smaller triangles and some crosshatching as well. 

Still have more to do on a couple of borders but when I look at what I have learnt and accomplished through making LE it is such an incredible journey, A long way to go before I can really call myself a quilter and not just a top maker but I am getting lots of practice and loving ever minute of it.

Linking now to Esther's Wow then back to my LE

Cheers everyone, Jenny