Progress Report...with Pictures!

So, this is what it looks like to have a quilt in progress on my sewing machine! Yay! I am finally working on my snowman quilt. My friends at the In Stitches sewing club helped me get the basting done. It was very intimidating to me. And some of these ladies are so experienced, it's all old hat. I had to wait from Wednesday to Saturday to get started. It was excruciating!


I had known all along that I wanted to do some outline quilting around the figures in my panel pieces and some highlight quilting around the borders. I decided to do it with free motion quilting to get some practice following lines.

Then I decided to fill in the logs with a swirly design that's kind of like McTavishing. It is reminiscent of Dr. Seuss's drawings. I love quilting with the red thread. It's so bold and cheerful.

Once I got going it was hard to stop. I was scared that my irregularities would show on the lighter areas. Ironically, it was hard working in the red areas, where my thread matched, because I couldn't see where I had been! The jingle bell fabric, of course, is the backing.

I outlined the scalloped border and both sides of the candy cane border as well as the quilting around the figures.

I have finished quilting in 3 of the blocks and I'm working on the fourth. I have some ideas for the quilting in the sashing and the first border. I'm kind of scared of the outer border with all those big spaces to fill, but I'll work it out when I get there. I don't think I'll get this done before quilt club on January 25, which was my original goal. Boo!

Here is the long skinny table runner that I was working on last week. I free motioned in the green triangles as well as the white squares. I think the design looks kind of folky and cute.

My friend loaned me a pattern for a notebook cover. I used this project as an excuse to do some practice FMQ that would yield me a finished project. In this view, the right edge would be folded under the appliqued flap when closed. I need to finish the button and loop closure.

Here you see the FMQ design I used. It's a meandering line with alternating leaves and flowers. I'm using my gold Aurifil thread that is my newest favoritest thing in the world.

Thank you for your patience in following my progress even when there were no pictures to show you what I meant. It feels so good to be working on this bigger quilt. Finally, I can make something that my family can actually sleep under! (And I can finally finish that pile of tops into something that I can use!)