Catching Up or Having Fun?

So, being a diligent sort of person, I made a list of things I have been doing lately that would be good fodder for this sort of internal dialog....and then realized that instead of a diligent person, I am really more of a lazy person.  I want to show all the fun things that have started this new round of "Interesting" but backlog is never a good way to start, now is it?

SO here are the things I have been doing TODAY, and maybe once I get the back to blogging jitters out of my system I will be able to give more of the big picture.  (Of course when I say it THAT way it sounds as if I did Oh So Much blogging back in the what, 2 or 3 months I did this for Project Dollway. heh.)

And for a 3rd paragraph that starts with "So," Here is what I did today, not necessarily in this order, and by today I do mean the 24 hour period rather than the calendar sort, as my Machined Whole Cloth piece to the left was actually done last night in the dark of night while I waited for n. to appear on the scene.

This is my first real adventure with Machine Quilting and I am actually surprised at how even the stitching turned out.  Of course it took me about an hour and a half because I was going so slow and being so careful.  It is from a stencil I got at Golden Threads I stitched it out in a variegated thread which was also interesting....and a little weird.  I am sure it is something you get used to, but the unpredictable color change (which is hard to see in  my pics, of course) seems a bit distracting or something.  Of course I am also the sort of gal who likes her "Whole Cloth" on "Plain Cloth" with matchy thread, so who am I to judge?

The Octopus of Doom is my hand quilted sample.  (n. pointed out is really is more of s Squid....sorry, all you taxonomists out there.) In case you were wondering what's up with all the whole cloth, we are having our second official lesson for The Cursed Quilting Group on "quilting."  Sounds redundant I know, but the skills necessary to piece a quilt together are simply not the same as the skills required to actually finish said quilt so it is usable.   A little prep work on the actual quilting is thus in order.....although it may scare everyone off entirely.  We shall see.  (Ladies, if you are reading this, it really is easy....very soothing.  No swearing at all, I promise.)

I didn't spray the markings off because I want to show the process a bit when we have our class...and I suspect you wouldn't be able to see the design at all if I had sprayed it anyway.  I did this as a 12 X 12 block in my lap.  Most of my hand quilting has historically been on frames so it was easier than I remember it. hehehehe  Of course I should point out that the LAST quilt I did was actually finished by my mother and is on the bed as I type.  So my recommendation to all of you aspiring quilters out there....get a Mom who will help you out. :)

Oh, but before I forget, the cool design is from a book called "More than Celtic" I got the same time I bought the stencil..it was on Clearance and the designs are much better than I expected for the price I paid.

The last sample is my first taste of machine quilting as it is observed in the wild. I was surprisingly hesitant to try it, and I am sure there is some deep psychological reason why, but I can't quite come up with it yet....must be suppressed, or repressed...oppressed?

In any case, after reading the free "ebook" from Quilting Arts I was emboldened to try. If you do download the book (well really it is more like a pamphlet but completely worth the "free" price tag!) you will recognize several of the motifs I tried. It will probably be a LONG time before I am ready to fill a whole quilt this way but it was really quite fun. You should try it....yeah, you really should. Right now. Go try it.