Getting it quilted

This is the last piece I needed to finish for the quilt show.  It's also the piece I took with me to the lecture with Jane Hauprich in July. It is now quilted and ready to make its first public appearance!  I thought I would share how I got here.
















  Jane suggested printing out pictures of the quilt to doodle on.  Using a mechanical pencil gives a nice fine line!   These two are done on the same picture with tracing paper over it, which doesn't save any paper at all. I hated to waste the paper, but this way is easier than laying out the quilt and drawing on the big piece of clear acrylic I have and risking getting the dry erase marker on the quilt.  I did still lay it on a corner once I had a plan to test the designs full size. 




















Anyway, Jane had suggested a curly "ribbon candy" design in the red sashing and straight lines in the triangles, so that was where I started.   But that just didn't feel right to me- or as a friend used to say; it didn't sing to me.

At some point I was doodling different designs and stumbled on the pattern I call MEMEME.  I loved that for the sashings!
I had also recently seen "Beginner Loops" on the Inbox Jaunt, and thought it would work in my border.  As you can see by my note, the thought of marking my quilt didn't thrill me.


The tracing paper was shifting, so when I started again, I made a black and white photocopy and drew right on it.  The ribbon thing felt right in the triangles, with smaller loops.   In the alternate sashing, I blended curves and straight lines with a design from Leah Day, called chain of pearls.








So now I had a plan!  The next step was to  put these designs on the quilt.

I was pretty comfortable with the designs for the blocks, but the border made me nervous.  I am a big believer in the muscle memory thing, so I got out my big drawing pad and drew lines to practice the design to scale.



I did three pages of practice and finally found the size I was most pleased with. (below)

But, deciding I still needed practice, I made a small quilt to practice on- with the same size borders.













This also gave me a chance to refine the design in the corners!





















And finally finished my quilting!

I'm very pleased with it.  I have always loved dense quilting and now feel confident enough to do more of this kind of work on large quilts. 

Our quilt show is NEXT WEEK!!  I only entered this one that was unfinished at the deadline, never thinking it would still be this close to the show when I was ready.  Several of my friends are in a race to the finish!

If you're concerned about the climate crisis, as I am, it can feel hopeless.  No matter how hard you try, you know you are wasting paper, or buying things you don't need, or using too much gas and electricity.  The important things is to never give up.  Make one small choice each day and encourage everyone around you to make one small choice.  And, most important of all, make yourself heard- by voting for people who support renewable energy, or stricter regulations, or banning plastic bags; by making good choices when you shop and "voting" with your money.  No one person has to do everything, but everyone can do something!!

I am grateful for:
AUTUMN!- the leaves are changing, the days and nights are cooler, and I can wear a sweater once in a while!
A chance at something different (hopefully better)
Kitty cuddling
Having a child I can take to the children's' movies!
Getting back in a warm bed on a cold morning.