Something Finished

The last stitches were put in the binding about a week ago, and it still needs to be washed, but Batik Tracks is essentially done.

I can't quite get the whole quilt in a photo on the design wall. My design wall is something I rigged up from an old flannel sheet suspended from a curtain rod in the hallway. It works, but the only way to take a picture is to stand in the bathroom doorway. And if the dog starts prancing around and stirring up a breeze, blocks start falling off. The other thing I notice is that pictures taken here really emphasize the color differences in the blocks and minimize their similarities. See the picture on the bed for comparison.

Close-up showing the swirl and spiral quilting.

Batik Tracks on a bed. In natural light, the blocks blend together much better and the overall effect is of a turquoise quilt. This is how it looks in person.

And here's the back. I used 2 different Jinny Beyer blender prints, one just a couple of years old and the other from at least 20 years ago.

REALLY Winter

Unlike the wimpy 1 or 2 inches we got over the weekend, today we got 3 or 4 more on top of what's remained Sunday through Tuesday. I mostly stayed in, working from home, and only went out a couple of times to walk Nikki and try to clear off the car. It's now switching to freezing rain, so it won't be easy getting out tomorrow either.

I also did a little quilting when I took a break, and took a picture in daylight. Not exactly bright daylight...

Winter Weather

Snowed off and on over the weekend, and continuing this week. I got my errands out of the way on Saturday, and Sunday just enjoyed the prettiness without having to go anywhere.

I rearranged blocks on my design wall, but didn’t make any real progress. I had 26 blocks made, and decided I need 36 to finish. That will make a decent throw-sized quilt. Once I get a tentative layout I like, I can make the other blocks to fill in the gaps.

I did spend time on quilting though. I prepped the front and back of the Batik Tracks quilt, and loaded it on the frame. It’s been such a long time since I’ve done that, that I reviewed some videos on method just to refresh my memory. It went on pretty smoothly, although the back and batting are a little skimpy for the width of the quilt. I will have to take extra care to keep things lined up and square. I quilted one pass across in swirly curls. It’s a little difficult to see where I’m going and where I’ve been as the teal thread really does blend into most of the fabrics.

Half the Rows

I sewed blocks together for 8 rows. Only 7 left, but I got sidetracked into starting a Christmas project. After several hours on that, and an aching back from all the cutting and pressing, I decided it wouldn't get done this year. I don't know why I sometimes think I can just squeeze these in, but hope springs eternal I guess. I do like how this batik quilt is looking. It's interesting how much better it looks once the blocks are sewn into rows.