On a Mission

I am sure I am working on too many projects at once.  

This week, I am focused on a quilt top that Lynn, Jan, Kathy and Syd made for our wedding.  The silly thing is, it's been pin-basted for over four years.  I had the delusion that I would work on it after we got the first moving POD packed in January of 2016 and put our house on the market.  I thought I'd have less to do with much of the house packed and during a time when I didn't want to mess up a neat and tidy house for sale.  Sure thing.  The reality was nothing like that.  I never really liked the backing I used either. The final thing that kept it unfinished was that I had decided after basting that it was a good application for machine trapunto.  Fast forward until now--about 3 weeks from our 15 year wedding anniversary. Our gift to each other was supposed to be a splurge trip to Europe, retracing some of our favorite trips--dating, honeymoon, and babymoon.  Since that's not happening, it seems like a good gift to get it finished.  It's so beautiful and I hate to see it shuttered for any longer.

There will be 48 motifs to trapunto. I actually enjoyed the prep work because I was able to clear out a lot of the polyester batting in my stash (always intended for trapunto).  As usual, starting was the hardest part.  I don't keep the water soluable thread at my fingertips and it's been so many years since I used this technique.  Hopefully, the dreaded yellow paper won't be more brittle in this climate.  

My first session was fairly short but I managed to get 12 motifs done and I trimmed away the batting while watching tv one evening.  I know it is only one of many steps but ... I'm a quarter of the way done on that part.  I'll wait for a big reveal when it is completely done but here are a few photos.  I wonder how long it is going to take for Mike to ask what I am working on since most of the time, I'm working about 3-4 feet away from him.  I don't have much of a poker face but I'll come up with something.

We have barely had any rain but we have had a few dust rainbows.

LTG milestone!

 I finally finished all of the LTG blocks.  I need to audition for sashing fabric and, hopefully, have something on hand that will work.  I honestly don't have a vision for what I'm looking for.  The piecing has been uncharacteristically blended and I like that look for this quilt.  I tend to gravitate towards high contrast but it doesn't seem like a good choice with my blocks.  We will see.

I got the bear's paw back from the quilter.  This is my no-basement set up.  No frills, as you can see, and I had to wait until the outside temperatures went below 110 so it was bearable to work outside.

Here is a full shot so you can find your blocks.  :-)  I am pretty sure I have a couple in my orphan block box too.  I bound it with a batik because it was a good color/value but you know that adds an extra amount of fun to that process.

Our neighbor posted this photo of a turkey vulture that was lingering just beyond the property lines.  Things that make you go hmmmm.

I'm still collecting more uplifting sunset shots to counteract vultures.