Keeping Busy

Now that I have my Juki  back, I am getting some of my machine quilting done.  This was the first to be completed and is now on my  bed.

This shows some of the quilting.

This is the stack and whack I  was working on in the workshop.  It will go to Sweet Charity as soon as I get batting and get it quilted.

I also have quilted two wall hangings that feature my kaleidoscopic hand dyed blocks just for fun.  As soon as I get the binding done, I will post pictures of the completed projects.

I was not particularly pleased with the quilting of those blocks so I decided to do some experimenting with different machine quilting looks.  I took four of the kaleidoscopic blocks -- each about 12 inches square - and chose a different technique for each one seeing what I liked best without messing up a whole quilt top.  I am getting there.  To make the blocks useful, I backed them with the heat resistant quilted material used for pot holders so that I would have hot pads!!  They match my daughter's pillows so I will give a couple to her!

Here are the four.  Don't kow whether you can see clearly but the first one was an attempt to follow the pattern, the second one used the orange peel pattern, the third was just four straight lines bisecting the block on the square side and the diagonal, and the fourth was just an endless circle.  I am okay with the minimal stitching for this use but don't think it would be great in a quilt.  The second and fourth ones might have some use for certain blocks but the first -- trying to follow the pattern - still would be my favorite though.  I have decided in the future to not try to follow the pattern exactly but to superimpose a roughly right pattern on top.  Didn't have time to do today!

It was much nicer to sit on my porch and watch the ocean waves while reading a junky book!  I am beginning to get a little stir crazy though with everything cancelled, grocery stores empty and no idea whether I will be able to have my much needed ankle surgery scheduled in May.