December Update and a Happy New Year!

December was a productive month for me and I'm going to try to maintain my quilting focus right into the New Year. I have to admit my dedication was not by choice. I had Christmas commitments that required that I spend the first three weeks of the month in the studio focused and quilting. My primary challenge was Cece's puzzle quilt for her daughter. It was equal in size to the batik star quilt she made in the fall…90” square. However, it was more difficult as the design was centered, rather than rows of blocks. Unless you’ve quilted a large piece like it, it’s hard to explain why the centered design is more challenging. Just trust me on this…it was tough in terms of size, design, and color changes within the quilt. I was right to be concerned as it didn’t quilt up without problems and I spent a bit of time picking out stitches before it was completed. But, the final result was worth every minute stitching, picking, swearing, and the like. 

The day after I’d completed the quilt and delivered it to Cece, I was relaxing by reading one of my quilting magazines. An article by a master quilter called “9 Things Your Longarmer Won’t Tell You” covered nine challenges/frustrations I’ve personally experienced over the past three years since getting the Gammill and experienced as recently as the prior week while working on the puzzle quilt. In summary, longarm quilting is not easy! It’s Hard! There are hours spent just staring at the piece trying to decide on an appropriate design...even if it’s straight line stitching. The next hurdle is thread choice. And then there are the mistakes that inevitably happen). They have to be picked out stitch by stitch (15 minutes of stitching can result in 3 hours of picking!). I was so happy to read the article and so relieved to know that I’m not the first to pick out stitches and not alone in finding design and thread color a major challenge.

I actually didn’t begin the month with Cece’s puzzle quilt (tried to put it off as long as possible), but started with her modern quilt made at the November retreat. I was excited about the fabric she used (and I chose) from the onset and wasn’t disappointed in the results. In contrast, Cece had trouble visualizing it made into the modern pattern and was at best lukewarm from the beginning. Good news, however, she is pleased with the finished result. Our reactions to the same fabric are interesting as she typically prefers the soft neutral colors primary to the fabric and I don’t, but prefer bright, clear colors. One of the things I like most about modern quilts is the use of neutral colors, whites and grays. It's refreshing after years of busy, bold fabrics.

My next project also held a certain urgency as it was my modern quilt to be given to Lauren as a Christmas gift. I started it a few days before her arrival home for the holidays. I wasn’t concerned about timing until I realized I was just slightly short on the backing fabric. Oops! Either I miscounted or the pattern was way off on the number of background strips required. Anyway, I was a few inches short and that meant a few extra hours spent planning and piecing the backing.  I wasn’t about to just piece on a few of those 1-1/4” strips. Oh no! I wanted something interesting that would include the small piece of bird fabric I had left from the project along with a floral from my stash that coordinated beautifully as well as some of the bright strips I used in piecing the top. It came together nicely and until Lauren reads this blog she will assume the backing was just another example of my creative genius! LOL!!!

I'd hoped to complete a fourth quilt this month, but Lauren arrived on the 21st and my time was spent with her for the next ten days. Although my longarming was over for the month, we were productive and spent just about every day working in the studio. The first project we (actually, "she") tackled was her foundation pieced project from January, 2013. She was determined to free-motion quilt it herself and she did just that. Her stitching was excellent and that was after just a few hours practice. Incredible! 

It's the beginning of a new year. I always sit down on January 1st and make a list of things I want to accomplish in the new year. It keeps me on track and as Martha would say, it's a good thing! Try it...in twelve months you'll be pleasantly surprised with all you've accomplished. Happy New Year!