First Completed UFO of 2011!!!

Black, White, & Red woven
Originally uploaded by basketcasejoy

Black, White and Red All Over is my first completed quilt for the Winter 2011 UFO Club. This quilt started (back in early 2010) as a result of some friends getting together to try fabric weaving. I had done weavings with straight strips and no fusible product before.(The photo is broken.  Click on the photo box and it will take you to the picture page.)

Question: What should I do???

Answer: Try something NEW!!!

After adding fusible webbing to the back of my fabric selections, I cut curved strips, and wove them together to create a background. Well, that was fun...but, what now?

Next came the curvy red border treatment. (Also applied with fusible.) However, that left the center of the piece blank. NOT good! In keeping with the artsy feel of the piece, I simply added a couple of off-kilter red X's. What do YOU think?

Well, I liked the effect and it certainly wasn't something that I had done (or seen) before! :o)

Done, but not completed. The question that remained was... how should I quilt it? It was a question that went unanswered for MONTHS. And that answer came just three days ago when my quilt buddy came over to sew with me and her answer was... Don't!

The only "quilting" ended up being the stitching lines used to hold down the red bits. Those lines go through all three layers and are, therefore, quilting. (And it's just enough!) Unfortunately, I needed the quilt to be totally finished by Monday night because my Art Bee WAS the program for the quilt guild!

There was no time to add a traditional binding AND have time to sew it down by the next night (Plus, I couldn't decide what color binding I wanted to use.) What's a quilter to do?! SERGE!!!

I took a hint from a fellow quilter on Ravelry. She mentioned that she no longer attaches a  binding to any of her quilts. She chooses to serge them because she would rather them be done this way, than have them sitting around waiting to be bound. (The binding is her least favorite part of quilting!)

So, a non-traditional finishing technique was used for a change of pace on this little 9" x 12" quilt. TIP: Don't forget to put a dab of anti-fray product on the corners so that your "binding" won't come un-sewn!

Another completed project should be right around the corner.  I'll be sure to post when I'm done with it.

Until then...
Happy Quilting!