I started a new quilt, it’s a QAL with Mellisa at The Polka Dot Chair The QAL started on November 4th, but the real sewing starts today. I am a day ahead, but I’ve only made 6 whole hat blocks so far. There are 28 in total, and I am using up some yardage that’s been in stash for a few years. I want to make “option 1”, pictured below.

It finishes at 60″ square. My hats are a mix of green and red prints, with a constant WoW holly print for the fur trim and pompom. This pattern is for both paper foundation pieced blocks or traditionally pieced blocks. I opted for the no paper pieced version. My past two projects, the secret one and Appalachian Autumn, have been paper foundation pieced. I am still finding little scraps of paper in my sewing room, and they seem to be attracted to the dogs.

The medallion table topper quilt is progressing too, I got to the middle yesterday. It is a digital print from Hoffman, like the big dream dahlia panels. The quilting pantograph I picked is called swirls and pearls (or something like that). Each row takes about 45 minutes for the computer to stitch out. When I first got my automation system, I thought I would be able to do a few small quilts a day, or one large one in a few hours. This is proving not to be the case. I sometimes think that free motion and ruler work is faster. Or maybe it’s just that I choose very dense designs, or I make more work for myself than necessary. Like placing designs in the blocks individually, or borders and having to turn the quilt on the frame. I think I have gotten more proficient at creating designs and using them with in the program. Setting up the digital quilt can be time consuming, and I have gotten to the point where I save things when I should. Sometimes while stitching there will be a machine error and, if you haven’t saved, your design is gone, or changed, not in a good way. I do appreciate the quality of the stitching and the consistency of the designs though, that’s what keeps me going.

Be kind