For Esther

When I announced that I was going to stop writing my blog, there were a few people who wrote and remonstrated with me.  They enjoyed reading what I wrote, and wanted me to continue.  As you know, it's very difficult for some to respond, and others don't wish to, so sometimes I feel as though I'm writing for no audience.

Esther, my more-sister-than-in-law, took it upon herself to write to me after almost every blog and comment in some way on what I had said.  Friday I received a valid complaint from her.  I spent some time last week describing my projects with no accompanying photographs.  I was lazy.  This week I will try to show you what I have been doing, Esther, and I'll start with David's lap quilt.  I mentioned that I had pinned it to its backing so I could quilt it using machine embroidery stitches.  Here is part of it in its porcupine glory:

Partially pinned lap quilt

While I was pinning I had the feeling that I wasn't using enough pins, but I had no idea how many I should use.  One every 6 inches, every 3 inches, every inch?  I let the blocks decide for me and tried to use one in every corner of each block.  At the end I had used 275 or 276 (I lost count near the end) pins. 

The thread I'm using for the embroidery is all right, but it isn't the thread I used while appliqueing the random stars on the quilt.  It may have been quite popular for people making gifts as that is when I purchased the first spool.  It was red, gold, and black.  The thread I did buy and am using now is dark red, dark green, and cream/white.  Actually, I was somewhat surprised to have found those colors.  It seems more holiday-ish than what I had earlier.

                                

Here's a photo of one of the stars I machine appliqued on the quilt.  It is one of the star shapes I used in "Music of the Night"; I am partial to it. It's flannel but not from the same fabric line as the blocks, but I used it for the inner border so it works in well.  The outer, wide border is the black floral flannel (you can see it in this picture in three blocks; one to the upper left of the star, one to the right, and one in the lower left) as well a one or two other stars.

Yesterday I finished all of the machine embroidery.  Next I have to cut and sew the binding from various length strips of the flannels.  But, with D's permission, I'm going to set it aside while I finish another project.  That one won't take too long so I'll be able to get back to the binding soon.

I hope.