The cyclone is over. It was stronger than expected and closer than expected, but we came through unscathed.
Layering
Ready to pin
Ready to quilt
So the Husband was off to work on schedule, and I was left to look at the ToL backing, batting and top, and completely fail to find a reason not to pin them together. I don’t enjoy the grovelling around on the floor. My knees and back are too old for this game. But it’s done, despite a visit from the Dowager with a birthday present, lots of conversation, making a batch of bickies and serving them with coffee and assorted other displacement activities. I’ve put all the furniture back and vacuumed the carpet and loaded the dishwasher and had lunch. Further displacement activities, you see, so that I don’t have to start actually quilting. And of course, there’s writing this blog…
Thank you to everyone who gave me their thoughts on how the quilting might look. It’s been very helpful in getting me to actually narrow down the list of possible options. It’s also amazing how much less stressed I feel about the quilt now that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The first part of the quilting’s going to be pretty miserable, but after that, I can have a bit of fun with my clouds and water ripples. And I actually love binding and labelling, so that’s all good too.
I’m keeping those Amy Butler charm squares out on my work table to act as a reminder/incentive/goad when the going gets tough.
OK, I’ve cleaned all the lint out of the bobbin race, replaced the needle with a new quilting needle and adjusted tension and stitch length. Time to get cracking.
I’m going in!
talltalesfromchiconia 
Glad to hear everything’s OK. Enjoy quilting! I was smiling reading about pinning the quilt sandwich on the floor – that could be me. 🙂 I love the backing fabric and your quilting ideas. Oh, and of course Happy Birthday! 🙂
Thank you! My knees have recovered from this morning’s activity at last. I spent a few hours quilting a bit and unpicking, quilting a bit and unpicking. It was hopeless. I’m going to hand quilt it, with big stitches so it doesn’t take the rest of my life!
Ah yes. The grovelling on the floor (after having to vacuum REALLY thoroughly), the sore knees and the sense that most of the fun is over. I expect that’s why there are so many quilt tops to be found in charity and vintage shops! However – that will definitely not be the fate of your quilt. I have an aversion to machine quilting too. All those layers of fabric to get under that needle, the hideous realization that you’ve done it wrong and will have to unpick it – Yuk. Like you, I tend to go down the minimalist and hand-done path. After all – I reason with myself – the only reason to quilt something, at least at first, was to hold all the layers together and, if you do that, all is well. Everything else is jam. Just make sure the batting you are using is hand quilting friendly and note how closely (or far away) you need to quilt on it.- although I’m sure you’ve done that. Just saying…….
Bon courage!
Thank you. The hand quilting has commenced. I’m carefully concealing from myself quite how much there is, by folding the quilt up as much as possible around the area I’m working on. I have two months to get it done. Pas seulement le courage, aussi bonne chance
Birthday present? Happy birthday!
Thank you! It’s not one of the exciting ones – I’ve reached the age where there’s a lot of prime numbers 😦 which at least gives me the excuse to say I’m in my prime!
I hadn’t thought of that. I like your theory. My age is a prime number too! Yay. I’m in my prime.
How completely stunning, you must be so proud, what an accomplishment, what you need is one of those big quilting tables the ladies used to have in the basements here, and all the neighbours would come around with their needles and help.. we would all come to sew with you if we weren’t all so far away. What a lovely thought. To be close. My neighbour has her grandmothers quilting frame, which I have not seen but it stands up and hangs the quilt somehow, I am sure you know more about these things than I do.. have a lovely day.. c
Thank you so much, what a lovely comment! If I only had the space for a big quilting frame… As it is, I’m quilting by hand using one of those round frames. I’d much prefer the idea of a gang of ladies all plying their needles and talking hard! K
Excellent plan with the Amy Butler charm squares! It will be an amazing finish! You will find your groove!
I love a bit of procrastination! And I’m with you on the grovelling around on the floor. When did it get so difficult???
It’s not so much the getting down on the floor as the getting back up once you’ve been on your knees a while! But until I get a table large enough to do the quilt sandwich on a queen sized quilt, the floor it is…