It's so hard to focus on my machine quilting goals for the month when things like this appear at the feeder outside the window!?!
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| Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak from the rear |
And the 500 toad eggs have hatched and the tadpoles need to be checked regularly?!?
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| American Toad tadpoles that hatched 4 days ago!! |
The fragrance of the viburnums need to be enjoyed hourly.
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| Viburnium carliesi -- oh so fragrant! |
And every primrose needs to be cooed over and photographed.
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| Primula belarina |
But really I do need to finish this quilt!! I was making great progress, got through all the design decisions except for the border. So I went back at it in snatches between all the running in and out to check on the progress of spring. Soon the last few blocks were finished and I decided to rambled through the borders repeating the "tea leaf" motif I used in the blocks.
I began with a wandering "stem" to give me a guideline adding leaves to the left side to create a spontaneous vine effect. It barely shows up -- grrr. Time to make an adjustment!
I've been using channel style quilting successfully recently and decided to try finishing out the border with that between the "vine" and the edge of the quilt. First attempt looked good and it was a go!!
At this point, I heard the mailman on the front porch and decided it was a good time to take a break and make a cup of tea. Turn on the kettle, go to the front door -- A BOX!!!!
It's the new presser foot for my APQS George!!
The platform foot to use with acrylic pattern guides! Now I'm excited!!
So I finished the free motion work on all four borders and installed the new foot.
Look how high it is?!?
It only took one pass to fall in love!! No wiggles from the foot jumping onto the guide!!
So this weekend I'll get the quilting finished and put on the binding and then I'll share my first finish for the second quarter from my list for the 2015 Finish-Along at On The Windy Side. I need to get one done before we hit the mid-point of the quarter!
And if you are as distracted by your spring time as I am, take your stitching outside!!
Mary Huey
Oh, Mary, we are enjoying the Grosbeaks here, too! Must be their time. Mowing is a chore when I have to stop for all the toads traversing my path, but I do stop for toads. I'm hoping to get the dandelions under control so I can see the flowers below them, but it's a terrible year for them.
ReplyDeleteYour new foot looks wonderful. I've never used a ruler with my Janome. I wasn't aware you could actually. I have so much to learn. Off to visit a longarmer today who lives just a few houses away. Won't that be fun!
Julie
lovely plants and your quilting looks good too!
ReplyDeleteYour photographs are wonderful and I certainly understand the distractions. I've been sub teaching and teaching quilt classes all week and have had to wait until I get home in the early evening to check the status of Spring here. I have not been disappointed and I'm looking forward to some outdoor time this weekend. There is grass to mow, rhubarb to pick, weeds to pull, etc. but I know I'll have "visitors" while doing the chores and that makes it fun. The quilting project is beautiful and the new longarm foot looks like it works well. I'm excited for you! Thanks for the peek at Spring today while I am on my break at school. Now I really can't wait to get home. :-)
ReplyDeletePackaged arrived. Thanks! What beautiful flowers. I would be distracted, too. A foot for ruler work. How nice. Now I wish they had one for my Juki - a dsm. Happy quilting!
ReplyDeleteLOL This made me want to go outside IMMEDIATELY. Your stitching looks great. Enjoy the new foot!
ReplyDeleteGotta love the fresh, newness of Spring. Yes...enjoy that new foot.
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