As I said - we have been planning this for weeks and this morning I drove to Charlotte to pick him up after an overnight flight and sneak him home.
It was a total birthday surprise as he thought I was out hitting estate sales with my friend. Martha! LO l! It's great to have a friend to help build your cover.
We stopped by the inn so I could check in with Housekeeper Susan as we also had the Richmond Express group arriving yesterday afternoon.
Look! Daffiest in the sunshine!
These are just ready to burst.
These are the long stemmed single blooms.
I think I'll be cutting some of these and bringing them inside for everyone to enjoy.
These are the vintage ones down behind the back porch =
There are clumps just starting to bloom.
The banged up knee wasn't allowing me to traverse the hillside - I tried, but it was no go.
I was afraid I'd get down there and it would be too much strain on the knee to climb back up.
Tuesday afternoon!
I was ready for the arrival of this batting - I set right in and loaded my Ladder Star to start the machine basting process.
It doesn't take long. It's loaded just the way I would load a quilt I was machine quilting - because this IS machine quilting -
Only with bigger stitches, and a simple cloud pantograph with rows about 5'' apart.
Why a curved pantograph?
Because it covers more area and bastes in all directions where straight lines only go one way.
Click to Play:
You can see the lines of stitching here.
And because the quilt top has been "machine quilted" and the edges basted down, I can start quilting this quilt anywhere I want. I don't have to start in the middle - but I could if I wanted.
But it doesn't matter - because everything is super basted in place and nothing is going to shift or need to be worked toward the outside edge as it would if I were pin basting or spray basting.
Hot off the machine!
Let the stitching begin!
And yes, I'm starting at a bottom corner and working borders first.
WHY? Because as soon as I've gone all the way around I can trim the quilt and bind it and get rid of the raggedy batting and excess backing.
I'm already this far!
The Richmond Express group is in the house - and today we start our Emerald City workshop from my book String Frenzy.
We are breaking it into 3 sessions - so today will be full of fun string piecing!
What do you have going on for your Thursday? Are things blooming where you are?
Quiltville Quote of the Day -
Strive to become better, not bitter.
I love the simplicity of this one, and my recycled shirt fabrics are calling my name loudly.
Vintage quilt found in North Carolina.
Wow! Been quilting 40 years, Never thought about curved basting. I have a quilt ready to go and will have to try this. Spring has sprung in Southern Oklahoma. We have multiple plants blooming including daffodils. My favorite, the redbuds. Winter is finally over.
ReplyDeleteOh, what a pleasant surprise!! I hope y'all have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteThanks for explaining why you use a curved panto pattern when basting. I have usually done straight-ish lines, but your wisdom makes so much more sense. I am on the home stretch of a long term whole cloth project (boring) and my fingers are itching for a tub of plaids to hand quilt. Thanks so much. Paula Thomas, Omaha
ReplyDeleteI love your daffys. I will enjoy them from afar. We had 2 feet of snow last night and it is still falling. No Spring for us yet. Thanks for showing the machine basting. I want to learn how to hand quilt so using my longarm to do the basting would be good as the getting down on the floor to pin is no longer a feat I can handle. Have a beautiful, fun day.
ReplyDeleteThe ladder quilt is just beautiful!!! The hand quilting really makes it sparkle!
ReplyDeleteGood morning, my daffodils are just popping up, but I'm in northern Ohio and along the woods so my sunlight is not warming us up as fast. Yesterday was beautiful here, near 70°, I had a grandson over and moved all my planters and pots out to the patio and other areas. Today was waking to thunderstorms and rain all day. I wish I could baste a quilt on a machine like you. I'm basting a log cabin quilt today. Have fun with the surprise visit with your son! Enjoy your Richmond quilters. You are such an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pic of you, your hubster, and son Jason! What a lovely surprise.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea to baste Ladder Stars on your longarm. Now you can leisurely hand-stitch. I'll remember this idea--just in case I get a whim to hand-quilt. I haven't done that since the late 1970's when my Dad hung a quilt from the ceiling and then drew pencil Baptist Fan lines for us to stitch on. Such a sweet memory.
Daffodils are so pretty and fresh! Love them, and I also love purple hyacinths. That's what I have blooming right now. I'm so happy that last night's rain and hail didn't bother them at all. :-)
Thankful Jason could surprise Hubster. How fun! Happy Birthday to Dave! My Thursday is a fly day. Vacation is over. Sad to leave sunny So Cal. My Sewing friends and I will be together on Saturday to Celebrate National Quilting Day taking a class.
ReplyDeleteHa, ha! Here in south central Alaska it’s 14 degrees, and there’s still lots of snow on the ground. I love the daffodils.
ReplyDeleteTexas spring = bluebonnets! They are just starting to bloom. Look forward to the fields of blue in a couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteAre your ears burning? I am at AQS in Branson, MO and your name was mentioned yesterday in a lecture about scrap quilting.
ReplyDelete