HQAL March Update 1 Day late

I am back from my long weekend trip to the baby shower for my granddaughter Heather. My daughter Fawn, living in Fairbanks, Alaska, flew in to me (Washington) and together we made the trip down to Oregon. Fawn was a shower surprise! And a wonderful surprise it was. From her sister Marion to Heather and to grandson Joe ~ shock, surprise, happiness all overflowed and made the weekend extra special.

I know I said I’d pass on this posting but I think one day late is just fine.

The finished baby quilt 

A weekend celebrating Heather and Trent as we await the arrival of baby Wyatt James

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Lori, Margaret, Kerry, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Connie, Susan,  Nanette,  Edith, Sharon, Karrin, and Gretchen

SAL Update: Backstitching

A busy 3 weeks has passed with lots of projects both inside and outside with spring knocking at the door. I have cleaned out a few flower beds, added a new black iron arbor at the back gate and finished the baby quilt for my granddaughter. 

But what I am most excited about is the simple progress I have made with my cross-stitch project since the last posting. I tried my hand at back stitching which was the major question in my very first post. 

To backstitch as I go or at the end? That was the question. I am definitely a backstitch as I go girl now! 

Here is where I was before 

And now 

 

What I think was the decision clincher for backstitching as I go was, I can catch my mistakes and missed stitches sooner than later, fix them, and be done with it. The excitement of a finished project could get lost with too many ‘fixes’

I still have quite a bit to learn about technique but so far …… so much cross stitch fun!

Please take a moment to visit the pages of these wonderful creative people and see what they have been working on. 

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, LucyAnn, Jess, Sue, Constanze, Debbierose, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Helen, Steph, Linda, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Catherine, Deborah, Connie, Clare, Mary Margaret, Renee, Jenny, Carmela, Jocelyn, Sharon

This SAL posting takes place every third Sunday. The next update will be posted on the 7th of April 2019. If you would like to join please contact Avis at the link above and she will walk you through the painless process. 

HQAL: 3 Week Check In

It’s amazing how quickly 3 weeks can fly by. Those 21 days really marks progress or not and this week I must report no progress at all was made once I finished quilting ‘Wishing You Good Will’

I am simply not sure how I want to do her border. I did watch a few youtube videos to gets some ideas and to learn more about cutting on the bias (thanks to many of your suggestions)

What I did do was work on my project with a deadline which was the baby quilt for my granddaughter, expecting her first child, a boy in May. The shower is on March 23rd and  I needed to get going on this.

So I have switched project gears with this posting and focused my attention on this new hand quilting project for this hand quilt along check in.

Back in January, I posted my fabric choices and ideas. Last week I finished up all the blocks and pieced the blanket together.

A slight fabric change was needed. I had originally planned to do all the sashing in a solid light gray but realized I did not have enough material. A quick trip to the fabric store, only to discover they were all out of what I needed soon led to finding the complementary material to the original block choice with the little princely bears…. I couldn’t be more pleased.

With 1 block left to quilt, I’ll be moving on to the border today

I used a light gray thread to quilt with but after I was into it I began thinking perhaps a light turquoise might actually have worked better.  No turning back and no second-guessing myself, I continued on.  The border will be a wide medium gray blanket binding with a dark gray pom pom ric rac.

The shower is being held in Oregon City, Oregon the home of my granddaughter, and I will be traveling from my home state of Washington. I will be gone  22 – 24th which looks like falls on our next 3-week posting. If I miss the update, I know you will forgive me 🙂

Please take some time and visit some of the other amazing projects of the other participants in this quilt along.

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Lori, Margaret, Kerry, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Connie, Susan,  Nanette,  Edith, Sharon, Karrin, and Gretchen