Blocking

Today I visited a quilter who has quilts hanging throughout her home, held up with wooden clips. When I asked about them, she showed me one:

The back part hangs on a nail or screw or whatever, and the quilt is held between the back and the curved front piece by the tightening of the screw. These clips come from America, where they are probably quite common, but they were new to me.

While I was there I finished the hanging sleeve on my Zoo Animals quilt, meaning that it is crossed off my list of unfinished projects. But I didn't get a photo of it.

Back home I decided to block my feathered star wall hanging before adding the binding. The quilting left it a bit wavy round the edges, and it was also a bit grubby as it is 7 years since it was first pieced. I gave it a gentle wash by hand with some eucalyptus wool wash (the batting is wool), then spun it in the machine for a minute or two. Here is it pinned out flat to dry:

I'm not sure how long that will take, but it is in the loungeroom not far from the heater, so it might be reasonably quick.