What I am learning.

Finally getting some little quilts off the "to be quilted" list! Been home sick all week and I have been learning (or reminded) that I don't "rest & recuperate" very well. I have to be "doing."

As I quilted this I realized how "pointless" that upper left basket is.
What was I thinking?

 Two years ago this Saturday, Temecula Quilt Co. began their Blessings Basket SAL.  I went out of control and made 4 of them, pictured below on my design wall in their flimsy stage.

Since this time I have been learning to live without
making every Temecula SAL that comes out.

This is the third one I have quilted--only the batik remains.

Something else I've been learning is curved cross-hatching. This was my first attempt on anything other than a practice piece. Can you see it in the dark blue setting triangles?
 There is a lot of backtrack or overstitching to this process and my skills in that area are not up to speed. I show you this photo of the back so that you can see the cross-hatching better, but you can also see my mess of threads in many places.

Another thing I have learned as I have quilted this week--I still think like a hand quilter. I tend to want to do stitch-in-the-ditch through the pieced areas and fill the large, solid areas with simple designs. I know that is not how everyone hand quilts, but that was my M.O.

It shows on the other two pieces I have done this week. "True", my little companion quilt to "Faithful", from one of Lori's SALs, was also completed. The quilting doesn't show here, but it is entirely straight line stuff around the piecing and a spiky design in the border.








The other piece I have quilted this week is another example of my hand quilting mentality. I have named this one "Poor Lil' Punky Loves Pineapple". The pumpkin design in the center is from Julie Letvin's Poor Lil' Punky pincushion pattern (and, of course, I made 4 of those, too). I did SITD around the black parts of each pineapple block and around Punky and his features, and put cross-hatching in the rail blocks. It is ready to bind and I hope to get to that today.

 It is hard to see the quilting design on the back but I like the way Punky's gold threads shine there. : )

I have one more little quilt basted and I am going to force myself to try an all-over design on it. This may be difficult!

My Little Quilts corner has had some recent additions, thanks to Julie and Michelle. Most of the quilts to the left of the corner were made by blog friends, five of which were AAQI quilts . So glad I was able to support the cause and have the work of friends in the bargain. On the other side of my quilting room I have a couple of pillows, a wall quilt, pincushions, and some ornaments by friends. Blogging has certainly provided me with the quilting community I lacked. Since blogging is my only computer vice--no Facebook, Instagram, gaming, and though I Pin, I don't browse Pinterest--for now, I am happy to keep blogging. I am just learning that I can't start everything I see on blogs, that I love. Some lessons are learned the hard way. : )

Until next time,
Janet O.