Tuesday, January 17, 2012

I woke up this morning with a very sore back so decided not to go to the quilting bee. My back has been a problem for a week or so, but I think standing all day yesterday at BOND is what put it over the top. I tried a new medication in the middle of the night that didn’t seem to do anything – except I slept later than I normally do. I went back to the regular medication when I got up and, as long as I take it at the appointed times, I seem better.

Just because I wasn’t at the bee didn’t mean that I wasn’t quilting! I finished up the straight line quilting on my Bench Cover by mid-afternoon, and moved ahead to the free motion part of my program. After trying out my new darning foot (made specifically for my machine) and breaking three brand new needles, I went back to the foot I’ve been using up until now. I learned at my quilting class that it isn’t working the way it should, but it seems to work for me.

I have a long way to go before I’ll feel comfortable with my quilting, but the saving grace on this piece is that I’m doing it for practice, and it is for myself. I added a few stars, tried my hand at some leaves, quilted some of the standards (loops, hearts and meanders), and tomorrow on one of the last blocks I’m hoping to try out a “circle in a circle” stitch. I see quilt patterns everywhere now, but transferring them from my head to the fabric is a whole different ball game.

I’m off now to relax with my knitting.