Longarm Update

I finally overcame my quilter's block and began longarm quilting again in September, albeit the last eight days of the month. I completed two huge quilts that have been hanging around longer than I care to admit. The second one was started in September, but actually finished in October. Of course, I was faced with a dilemma...should I include it in my update for September or leave it for October, since it was officially completed then? After careful consideration, I chose the alternative that offers immediate gratification...I'll share both of my successes in this update.

The first quilt was one Lauren made a while ago for her trundle bed in her Volcano bedroom that she only occasionally uses now. Oh well, better late than never! I've made and quilted two from the same pattern and been happy with the results, so my reason for stalling was not for lack of quilting ideas. I was put off by the size of the quilt. Well, it's finished and ready to be used at our upcoming Stix Retreat.

The second large quilt was one that Cece made last spring. I used Lauren's quilt to find my groove (lucky for you, Lauren, I found it really quickly) and muster the courage to tackle Cece's project. The size was intimidating and the fact I had absolutely no idea how I should quilt it contributed to the fear that had me paralyzed for several months. Now that it's finished, I have no idea why I dreaded it so. I worked out my design ideas on a quilt sandwich I keep for that purpose. I loaded the quilt top on the rollers like I do every other quilt (although, it filled up the 10' space leaving only about 8-10" on each side). I took the first few stitches, and then picked them out (I often do this)...walked away, took a deep breath, and returned to the machine and began quilting. Before long, I was even enjoying myself. After one row of blocks, I was in a Zenlike state and come the end of the day I didn't want to stop. It was one of the most pleasurable quilting experiences I've had. All my worry for naught! Go figure!

Here are a few pics of the finished quilt...