All sandwiched and ready for quilting

Quite literally, blood, sweat but no tears went into this late night effort ...



Since I'll wash the quilt before gifting it, I'm not too bothered about that little stain. I just need to remember to moisturize my hands more with all this handicrafting I'm doing at the moment.

But I'm quite pleased with myself and how much additional effort went into prepping the next stage. Usually, I'm not a big prepper and then I struggle to get everything into the shape it's supposed to be in.



Here we are, all ready to go ... and I'm already wondering where I put the pattern for the next baby quilt. Making good time here ...

Couldn't bear it!

All corners lined up perfectly except for those two. I must have made a mistake cutting the floral fabric there. And since I spent so much time on prepping, I couldn't have that flaw.



I un- and then redid those seams and am much happier now:



(OK, can someone tell me why I always, always, always have to redo the anti-robot part twice or more?)

Before I was a Quilter

This is me, ages ago, at my quilting class in Manchester. Before I became a Quilter, I was a knitter:



knitting bears for my friends' babies. This one has been bestowed the legacy of being born on 9/11. Seeing the images on television sent her mother into labour. ...

Progress Report

Things are moving along nicely, thanks to my design wall and decent supply of washed-out blue fabrics.



This dotted fabric has gotten relegated to the sidelines ... I think I'll use the floral fabric for the back ...



I'm already debating what to do with the scraps and left-overs ...

All is ironed and ready to be cut and arranged.

My Fabric Selection

OK, so I didn't exactly get what I was looking for ... but I found matching blue fabrics ...



Here you see:
- two sheets, middle and darker middle blue
- a pillow case (with a duvet cover off to be ironed) in blue-greenish stripes and flowers
- 10 inches of blue and darker blue patterned fabric
- approx five feet of darker middle blue with lighter coloured dots.

I've started washing and will iron and cut tomorrow, hoping to be able to pin it to the design wall so: continue to watch this space!

Off to the shops ...

Because sometime in early July, my next quilt is pegged for delivery as its soon-to-be owner is pegged for delivery herself ...

I will do a very simple design, machine-assemble and hand-quilt. In blues and greens, because the baby is a catholic girl and they wear blue - at least in these parts.

I already have three out of four or possibly five different fabrics and will go to my favorite quilt shop tonight after work to find something dotty - hence beautifully coinciding with my name. The others are solid, stripey and flowerey.

Watch this space for "before" shots.