Quilting Away!

I have been busy quilting away!  I completed a total of 3 quilts for Diane and will put them in the mail tomorrow.  They both really turned out nice (I think)!  I think I mentioned, that although quilting for others does make me a bit "tense", quilting for Diane, although I still try to do my very best, isn't quite the same.  She knows how hard I try, and so doesn't really give me a "hard time", so I can actually relax a little and concentrate on increasing my skills.

After doing those three quilts, I decided to tackle my pile of quilts and loaded "Granny Squared" (see the pictures above).  I am using the CL Baptist Fan Board.  I think it is looking pretty good, but I am still learning how to line everything up.  I was off a couple of places, but it is my quilt and I am (even with a board) doing "organic quilting", so you expect so little wobbles.  I will see how it looks after I finish, so I might take the small areas out if it looks bad.

The backing is more of the "pillow ticking" I got from Joanne's.  It is working well on the back of quilts, particularly those with white as the background.  It is a little "stiff" when I first load it, but after you have rolled it a couple of times, it starts to soften up a bit.  I like it---

The machine is also doing fairly good on tension.  I am using a new thread and had some difficulty in keeping it in the intermittent tension, but my solution was to wrap it around twice and it is working.  Don't know if I am suppose to do that, but I am starting to believe that I should do what works for me and if it doesn't ruin the machine, I am okay!

I have decided to submit a couple of quilts to AQS for consideration for the show next year.  That will be what I will load to quilt next.  I got a new CL template and picked up some wool batting, so we will see how it works (looks).  I am going to start early so I have plenty of time to quilt it and get it photographed.  I have also decided I will get a professional to take the picture.  From looking at some of the quilts at the show and reading, one thing that helps to get your quilt juried in is a good picture.  That of course doesn't get a win for you, but at least you get in the door.  I really don't think my quilts would win, but it sure would be an ego booster if it was chosen to hang!

Anyway---these are some of my plans.  I am also doing some work in the yard and will dye sometime, probably next week (or the next).  We had a death in my husbands family so we will be going to Oklahoma probably the end of this week.  Not staying very long because I have to get back to work, but anticipating a LONG drive.

Well, just wanted to check in with you all.  Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo