A Quilt in Process

If there's one thing I can say about myself, I'm not a quitter. I can take on a long-haul project and not lose sight of the end...even at the most sluggish parts of the process. And the end is coming near (near, not here) for a big project have been working on. Remember "The Year of the Quilt"?

I've actually shared with you a lot about the quilt I'm making...and you didn't even know it. My tutorials over this past year for the scrappy log cabin blocks, propeller blocks, pinwheel blocks, staggered strips blocks, and applique blocks were all born from my quilt design process. Instead of sewing a quilt that is a repeat of one type of block, my crazy idea was to create a design that used groupings of a variety of blocks appropriate for a beginner. It promised to be a slower process, but I wanted to learn a lot along the way.

It's an explosion of earth tones.

And boy oh boy, did I learn...

: When it says 1/4 in. seam, take it seriously.
: Using my cutting mat on the floor makes things go crooked.
: Don't get cocky with the razor-sharp rotary cutter.
: Blocks really need to be the right size and properly square if you don't want a nightmare later.
: My sewing room is too small.
: I'm not as slick with a sewing machine as I thought I was.
: Blocks look way more appealing once they are sewn together.
: As always...measure twice, cut once.

Throughout this process I have been both impressed by my new skills and humbled by the amount of times I've had to rip things out and start again. But, I love it. It's fair to say that I am hooked on quilting.

Embroidery in process.

Right now my assorted quilt blocks are all finished and in neat piles, systematically being sewn together to create the larger quilt. What's slowing me down is the hand embroidery I'm adding to the applique blocks. 2 out of the 6 are completed. Once the final 4 are done it should be smooth sailing to create a border and simple quilt back. This is when I hire my friend Stitchlilly to baste my quilt together with her long arm machine so I can (hopefully) quilt it without too much grief. (I will be sure to share any grief with you all here.)

I have had no hard deadline for myself on this quilt. But, I will admit to getting excited to finish now that the end is in sight. Because of course, the next design is already brewing in my head :)

–Cassandra