The Mola Quilt Top is As Done As It Will Get Down Here!

 I have had company while finishing the lone star mola quilt.  These are my daughter LJ's two kitties who I am babysitting for a few weeks while she does some company business in Brazil.  There are three kitty beds on this bed alone but they insist on putting thirty pounds of cat in just one.  They are good companions for my quilt endeavors though!!

 You can see I am nearing the end with the quilt here.  I had finished the four corners and was testing how wide to make the strip around the outside.  I am using the little Brother Pacesetter I have down here as I didn't want to ruin the needle on my Juki (they are expensive and I have to order them online) and the Brother uses normal needles!

Now the corners are attached!

And I have added the outside border as well here.  It measures 61 1/2 inches square and I have yet to decide whether to more either all the way around or just the top and bottom or just leave it.  I figure it will be a good ad for my friend Priscilla's molas!!

I couldn't resist taking a picture of these immature ibis down at Ft. Fisher.  They look like they may get their white coat soon.

Quilt Progress Before the Guests Come

The mola quilt is coming along nicely and I have the patterns drafted for the four corners.  These will be the half Mariner's Compass blocks that are in the book just drafted a bit bigger.  Haven't auditioned the fabrics that will go in them though -- probably turquoise, the bright green, orange and yellow with the black background of course.

 I have been diligently (up until a few nights ago)  been working on the grid quilting in the Baltimore Album style quilt.  It is slow going but I am seeing progress finally.  My approach was to quilt from the outside in.  I was able to mark the grid on the green border fabric and then I mark on the intersections of the blocks.  Then I take the 1/4 inch wide masking tape and make the long rows and quilt away.  I first worked all the way around the outside and then went around again a row in and think I may have it past the halfway point.  The marking and quilting has been going faster until recently.

 Just another view of the bottom row with my one rather obvious  mistake as the green block is in upside down.  There is a little basket in the middle of the block that is the giveaway!  Maybe that will keep people from seeing the wonky nature of some of the gridded quilting!!

Yet another closeup.  Although the rows are somewhat wonky, I do quilt with very small stitches and the front is white cotton sateen so lovely to quilt through with the wool batting and the sheen shows up the quilting.  I don't want to do the grid in the border so will have to decide what to do there.

Unfortunately I managed to strain my neck a few days ago so have been pretty much stalled on everything as I am spending much of my time with first ice packs and now heat.  It is improving but probably a few more days before I dare do any of the focused quilting activities although I am pretty sure that was not the root cause as I hadn't done it the day before but who knows.  I finally managed to get a decent night of sleep even waking up three or four times.  At least I was able to go back to sleep last night which had eluded me for about three days!  With some luck I will get the Baltimore Album style quilt done for our quilt show!