Finished and beribboned!

At the beginning of the month I was aiming to get my Orca Bay quilt completed that I had started back in 2012 the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.  A trip to my LQS yielded a quirky fabric for the binding and out of the excess backing I made a hanging sleeve.  Over a few evenings I did the necessary hand sewing, threw it in the washer and then hung it out to dry on my line - I'm trying to be a bit greener over the summer while I can dry laundry outside in the fresh air, and it smells so good!

I used plenty of pegs along the top so that it didn't get pulled out of shape

Much easier to see the quilting after going through the wash

That lovely Australian fabric in place as the binding

I do love the way the quilting becomes more visible after the crinkling in the wash, also there had still been a few little spots of blue washout marker in evidence after I had blotted them with a wet cotton wool ball - a prewash with no detergent followed by a gentle wash with just a little liquid detergent sorted them out.

At this point I had sent off my cheque to exhibit at the Grange Fair and anxiously waited to see if it got cashed - the proof that my entry had been accepted. It was duly cashed and on the Thursday I duly took my baby in and handed it over with some trepidation. By this point my husband had generously given me the mother and father of all colds and I had no energy to head over on the Friday evening or Saturday to see if my quilt placed, however various of my quilt guild friends did go to the fair and let me know that not just had I placed but had TWO ribbons!  I was well chuffed!

First place in class and Judges Choice too! Photo courtesy Becky S.

All the effort to add the hanging sleeve and it gets put up with binder clips 😂Photo courtesy Becky S.

Today, Saturday 27th, I was finally feeling up to a trip out to see it in person, and will be heading back to pick it up this evening. My One Monthly Goal for August was met and with great satisfaction too.

While stuck at home with the stinking cold I finished quilting the circles on Blueberry Hill and my generous husband drove me out to get the necessary binding fabric. Smokey is now helping me hand sew the binding down.