A Bit Of Hand Quilting

My free motion machine quilting needs some polishing before I get brave enough to use it on a quilt, so I am finishing some of my small quilts up with some hand quilting with perle cotton. 

The biggest hassle is deciding on a quilting pattern and marking it on the quilt, I am about a third ps the way through this motif and I am already wishing I had used the Amish waves design instead. 

     

It's a small pinwheel quilt I made for Project Linus, from leftover Moda Oasis fabrics. It's quilting up quite quickly but I can hardly see the pencil markings, which is a pain. 

This is the back, so far...

                                

I'm really enjoying the stitching but couldn't find a thimble that was comfortable, so I am using some pieces of horse bandage, the rubberised crepe bandage that sticks to itself. It really works, though I may need to cut a new piece soon. 

   

NOT Feeling Guilty!

I have countless projects on the go at the moment. I am making 2 Sister's Choice quilts, one for a commission for a family friend and a gorgeous blue and neutral one that may or may not be a gift (I've yet to decide if I can part with it). These are some of the commissioned blocks, made in Moda Community fabric. Sorry it's blurry, the light in my craft room isn't great. 

                              

I am still making my Carolina Chain quilt, which Is nearly finished and which I add to when I have new fabric to add to the scrappy look. This is it when it was half done, I only need another 16 blocks to finish.

                                        

I have a half square triangles quilt that I haven't touched for about 2 years. I have a scrappy string quilt that has stalled because I can't decide on a layout, a disappearing nine patch that I got quite far on before I realised I just hate it and some wild and goosey blocks that I can't be bothered to continue with at the moment.

Then, I have about 7 finished tops that need quilting. So, that's about 14 unfinished projects. So, I don't know why I got the urge to start an economy block quilt on Friday and a log cabin quilt on Saturday. 

The economy blocks are going to be my reward for when I have finished a couple of quilts, so I only made 2 blocks to test the sizes, etc. and I gathered some fabric and put it away for later. That is my version of restraint. The 2 blocks in the middle row are sewn, the others aren't. 

                                

    But, the following day the urge to make a Log Cabin (I've never made one) got too much. I gathered a load of blue and aqua fabric and got cutting. I cut 2" strips into 2 1/2", 4", 5 1/2", 7" & 8 1/2" lengths and cut some 2 1/2" squares for the centres. I made 14 blocks that day and another 20 since then. 

                                

Playing with the layout...

                               

I have 34 blocks, I am thinking of making 120, they will finish at 8" each and a 10 x 12 layout will be 80" x 96". Or, I might make it single size, not sure yet. I'm obviously as indecisive as I am ill disciplined.