At the tender age of 62 years +11 months, I have decided it is high time to learn a bit about hand quilting. I have tried in the past, but never stuck with my attempts long enough to actually get the feel for it. It seems I just did not have the required patience to practice, practice, practice. After a few minutes of quilting, I would become frustrated because my stitches weren't blue ribbon perfect, and became a quitter. Not a quilter. What was I thinking?
This is a quilt I finished a few years ago, when I was using other people's patterns. It is Cinco de Mayo, by Karen Stone and I just loved all those happy colors and fabrics. I did change the arrangement and made mine into a bed size quilt, as in 110" x 110". I got it all ready to machine quilt by stitching in the ditch. YIKES. I do hate stitching in the ditch by machine. And that was precisely what I felt this quilt was calling for. So I dragged it out from under Juki, spread it out on a table in my sunroom was inspired to take needle in hand.
Yes, yes, I know, you are all saying that I have now officially lost my mind. But you know, the mood was just right. It is something I can sit down and relax with (or learn to relax with) and my awkward and uneven stitiches don't show up (too much) among all those fabrics and tiny paper piecing. I am actually becoming hooked on this process. What is the saying about teaching old dogs new tricks? Dog gone it! I am not going to be an old dog yet.
Check back in with me around 2016.
