Quilting and Washington

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter or Passover.  Although it was a bit chilly here yesterday, it was still a beautiful day.  We hosted Easter dinner and enjoyed the company of my husband’s family as well as my mom.  Lots of food (ok, maybe too much food!) and good conversation. 

The kids have off for spring break this week and we are planning to take them to Washington, DC for a few days.  They are very excited to see the nation’s capitol.  Maybe we’ll even catch a glimpse of the new first dog!

Before that, I have lots of work to do!  I’m in the process of quilting “Dandelion Wine.”  As usual it’s taking a bit longer than expected.  Ironically, as much planning as I do for the piecing, I am not so good at planning the quilting.  I did better than usual and did plan a good portion of it, but then there’s a lot of ad hoc quilting as I decide that certain areas need more quilting.  I will admit that it’s also my most challenging part, as I do not feel as confident as I am at piecing the top.   Professional long armers would do a beautiful job, but, I prefer that the quilt be 100% my work.  On most quilts, whether it’s by hand or by machine, the quilting is what literally adds that extra dimension that truly makes the quilt a quilt.

I know there’s a lot of quilters out there, for whom the actual quilting is the most daunting part.  Sort of ironic, I think.   Machine quilting on a domestic machine can be quite intimidating, especially on a larger quilt.  Dandelion Wine is 65″ sqaure.  However, I have to say that there is no magic pill. Practice is the only way to gain confidence.  A fantastic machine quilter I knew in Illinois would always say “practice on something you care about, not just a practice sample.”  I believe she’s correct.  Baby blankets and charity quilts are great quilts to do just that. 

I am pushing to get the quilting done before we go to Washington, so I can relax and really enjoy my time with the boys!  I have to get the quilt to California by the end of the month, so that Island Batik can plan on where they will display it in their booth at Market in Pittsburgh.  I can’t believe Market is only a month away!  Shortly, I will have some exciting news regarding Helle-May Designs.  Let me dot a few more i’s, cross a few t’s,  and I’ll give you the scoop!

We have a loose plan for our time in Washington.  We’ve learned never to plan too much or too tight when travelling with kids, but any suggestions would be greatly welcomed!

Helle-May

One thought on “Quilting and Washington

  1. How was D.C.? Hope you had a marvelous time! Looking forward to seeing the finished quilt–you always do a great job quilting. Went to Chicago Quilt Festival on Sat. As expected, a great show, but I was exhausted at the end of the day (was there 9 am til 7:45 pm!!). Have been working MANY hours this past week–this week’s going to be nutty too, but the end is in sight–and then maybe I can get back to a little sewing, too!
    Connie

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