What a joy it is to get out in the garden and make the most of the wonderful weather. My tomatoes and beans are planted out and I've just been enjoying pottering about outside.
Tilly and I have taken to getting up at the crack of dawn to go out for a walk before the heat of the day sets in.
Now, I realise that this photo looks like Tilly stood next to a triangle with legs but I can assure you that is just me taking the photo!
I've been beavering away on a project that I promised myself I would finish before July 2012. As it turned out I've actually finished it long before my deadline as I've enjoyed doing it so much and the dull, wet weather kept me indoors.
Last year, I'd had a go at a Dresden Plate design, (lots of wedge shapes, sewn together lengthways to form a circle). It was such good fun that a plan for a future quilt started to form and somewhere along the line I decided that it would be a kingsize quilt too. It was a bit ambitious, I'd never made a quilt quite so big before. Also, I promised myself that it must be finished before July 2012, (more about that on another occasion). So, on 6 January 2012 it began.
The Dresden Plate is then machine appliqued on to a navy blue square. You then cut out a circle and applique that onto the centre. Twenty squares later, some sashing, borders and I had my quilt top.
I had thought about quilting it myself but I didn't relish the idea of hand quilting and my sewing machine wouldn't cope with that much quilt going through it. So I decided to have it quilted on a long arm quilting machine. Fortunately, my nearest quilting shop offers a long arm service and so I went along and chose the quilt pattern and thread and left the quilt with them. When it was done I went back to collect it and was delighted with the finish. It was worth every penny. I got the binding on last week and here is:
Tilly and I are going down to the woods today, there's a stream where she can paddle and it's much cooler under the trees.
Have a happy sunny Sunday.
Lesley
x
