Deadlines!

Electric Stripes is on the frame, and I'm both excited and terrified!

Deadline: "Still Hanging by a Thread" guild show (opens Nov 1)


No pressure.
My first attempt at longarm feathers will be out there for all to see - gulp.

Raging anxiety aside, try, learn, grow...here we go!

Marking basic guidelines before loading on the frame

I purposely left lots of open space on this quilt to force myself to try new things.

EEEYUP, that's a lot of open space. What was I thinking???

Not to worry...I have a plan. Sort of. If it works.
(at this point I was chanting in my head, "It's just a quilt, it's just a quilt...)

I started by basting the entire quilt and adding stitch in the ditch (and fake stitch in the ditch where I marked squares) to anchor things.

Next, I did the straight lines. Parallel lines on stripes could have been a nightmare, but I must have done something right because it worked out great!

The stitching doesn't interfere with the illusion created by the piecing, either...whew. Sometimes what you hope for and what you get are two different things, but not in this case.

Looks great - commence Happy Dance!

So...on to the feathers.
I've drawn a ton of feathers, and stitched them on my domestic machine.
I know I can do this (internal pep talk while fighting the urge to run away)

First attempt left much to be desired. I did promise to be honest, so here's the ugly truth:

Ugh, I'll be picking this one

Practice on the side? Nope, just dive right in and try it right on the quilt.
(nope rhymes with dope...just sayin)

Oh, and I don't have a thread that matches any better than this...so everything I do is guaranteed to show.

I tried the echo plume method, but not enough control left me hating the effect.




Hmm. Perhaps I shall leave the small feathers for a while and start with the long plumes. I'd marked guidelines for the spines and to indicate the spaces I wanted to fill.

Not perfect, but SO MUCH better!

Three looonnnnggggg plumes later, I decided to try the small feathers again.

I'm happy with this one!
Amazing the difference a bit of practice can make

I've been working on my Log Cabin Challenge in the evenings. I'm hoping to have it ready for the guild show, as well. Finished challenges are hung together, and it is so interesting to see what everyone does.

My project is from the book, "Not Your Grandmother's Log Cabin", by Sarah Nephew and Marci Baker.

Diamond shaped log cabin blocks, under construction

I've had a year to work on this...Is it the last minute yet???

I'll leave you with a photo from my "commute" through my garden to the longarm.
This plant thrives despite nightly frost.

Humble ground cover, beautiful bloom

Try, Learn, Grow!

Carole