Stay In Your Own Lane - a queen size quilt

I still have lots of 3.5" squares leftover from the White Star quilt.   

Quirky neutrals feature some fish, porcupines, butterflies, daisies, wheels, dots n dashes, stripes, feathers, assorted other florals, stars, checks and one that looks like black and yellow corn cob pattern).    

I combined those 3.5" squares with 5.5" and 7.5" squares and 4 similar white print fabrics for sashing.  The result is a low volume quilt.  I call my version of this multi-square quilt, Stay In Your Own Lane.

Row one:  3" sashing with 3.5" squares (17 squares).  Repeated 5 rows.  First Section.

I assembled first section, and added first row of the 5.5" squares.  Draping it over the bars of the long arm machine is a good way to check distribution of prints and  barely there contrast of colors.  

The studio lights come on in the late afternoon, hence the photos become a little yellowed.  The prior photo presents the real white background.  I added this photo, because I added a 5th row of small 3.5" squares at the top, and a 5th row of medium 5.5" squares to the bottom (fleshing out the quilt to achieve a queen size).  

Finished the long arm quilting  (free style feathers and swirls), and rolling it off the frame to photograph.  

DH Jon picked out the backing fabric (very light tan check).  I added an art panel to the backing to make the backing 100" wide to successfully clamp left and right margins to the frame.

A traffic jam of small 3.5", 5.5" squares, and 7.5" squares--all left over squares from the Seeing Red Quilt and White Star Quilt.  And get this, I still have more of these squares to sew into my next quilt.  In my brain I see 4-patch units and perhaps a light gray or blue sashing.  What do you think?  

Please notice the bottom of the quilt, where I put a row of flying geese units, top and bottom of the quilt to extend its length.  If the squares represent small medium and large vehicles, perhaps the flying geese triangles represent turn signals--commanding each vehicle to "Stay In Your Own Lane".  Ha. Ha.  What silliness, just to remember each quilt by giving them a fun name!

After trimming away the batting margins, I sewed 400+ inches of  2.5" wide folded strips for the binding installed around the perimeter.  Then about 5 hours to turn and hand stitch the binding to finish.

I shall sew on my 1992 Kenmore forever.  I keep her clean inside, and well oiled.  The bobbin race (black thingy) wore out and was replaced once.  I do have other vintage and antique machines to piece quilts.  My favorite piecing machines are: 1939 Featherweight, 1954 Singer 301, 1951 Singer 201, and this 1992 Sears Kenmore I bought new.  

The 301 is the fastest "sewing" machine I have, but it has a little bobbin like the Featherweight.  Both of those machines are light weight aluminum--the 301 about 15 lbs., and the tiny Featherweight 11.25 lbs.  The 301 is not the sister of the Featherweight as some incorrectly call it.  The 301 is the first slant needle machine Singer offered.  

I have a friend who finely cleaned, adjusted, and oiled his 301s to sew 1300 stitches per minute.  I don't know how fast my 301 runs, all I can say is--it sews like warm butter on glass.  

Update on my Sewing Machine Collection:  I had 80 sewing machines in January 2019 and by the end of the year I thinned the herd down to 50.  

The finished quilt is 94 x 102"  Thanks for looking at my work.

P.S.

My first show of 2020 is a Saturday/Sunday May 23-24 Memorial Weekend at the Rising Star Mill Arts Show and Craft Sale in Nelsonville, WI.  I will be there selling my queen size quilts, quilted 54" long body pillows, padded fancy wool and denim beaded purses, farmhouse over-sized potholders, clip-on padded cell phone carriers, sachet hearts filled with lavender buds, and more.  

At the show I'll be demonstrating hand crank sewing machines.  I have several Singer 12 hand cranks for sale, c.1884-1887, as well as a Singer 12K Ottoman hand crank dated 1898.  And,  if you are interested in acquiring one or more Singer Featherweights--please let me know.  I'll bring a couple along.  See you in Nelsonville, WI at the Rising Star Mill Arts Show an Craft Sale, Memorial Weekend, May 23-24.