Here's a tip...

Just a little trick to help with the art of joining fabric for sashings and borders, and making tape for binding your quilt (not bias).

Cut strips to desired width. Lay one on the ironing board/pressing surface, face up, the other face down.

Now make a 45 degree fold and press.
Flip back over and line up with the first strip.

Now place a piece of tape on the seam (masking tape is better than stickytape - my roll of masking tape keeps going missing - last seen being used by the cricketer in the house to turn a tennis ball into a cricket ball and also to repair the aforementioned cricketers boot - I don't ask anymore - just roll my eyes ).Flip open and stitch - ideally just a stitch width away from the fold, that way you won't trap the sticky in the seam.Trim fabric back to 1/4 inch seam, remove the tape and press open. Ready to go.If you are going to use for binding a quilt, just fold in half, press and then stitch in place.

I have been working on a quilt, to be taught at my local community house. It is aimed at the beginner but is a nice easy quilt for anyone to try. I kept it to basic black and white on the front, but the back is very bright indeed. It matches my kitchen perfectly, so will probably end up as a table cloth (don't freak - with a plastic cover of course).

And.... butter wouldn't melt in it's mouth - Norman is in disgrace - the phantom piddler strikes again. I thought I should make some inroads into cleaning my sewing room up, retrieved the vacuum cleaner (I don't use the ducted vacuum cleaner for my room - usually ends up with the plumber being called to unblock the pipes) anyway I digress.... started work, looked at a couple of lines on the carpet, thinks to myself - I'll get a damp cloth and remove them. Head downstairs, notice wet spot, stop to investigate - cat pee - go to where the vacuum cleaner was, large puddle of cat pee - I have sucessfully dragged this offending liquid with me upstairs across carpet (fortunately it is only drops because I was actually carrying the vacuum cleaner) and so begins the cleanup. Vacuum cleaner wheels are what left the first stain, clean those marks up, clean the vacuum - remove the wheels still stink after washing in the bucket - back to the laundry for them to soak in the tub in bleach - follow the trail across the carpet and down the stairs - a good hour later, order has been restored and of course the room still isn't finished. Norman and I aren't speaking.

Sue