Two More Basted

I was in and out of the clubhouse in less than an hour and a half. It's always so quiet in there early in the morning. It is a perfect time for thinking. "This is what I think," I think.

One process I have always done in the clubhouse while I basted each quilt was to think about the recipient, first of all, and secondly think of or plan how the quilt was to be quilted; either by hand or by machine, or a bit of both. And also what the quilting pattern might be. This morning was no different. The first panel I had ever worked with years ago was just put together the way it was printed so I could practice hand quilting. This one, this, The Great Pumpkin, was different. I cut the small panels apart and added so much more to it. I plan to hand quilt a sort of echo around shapes in the main block. Then, perhaps just a simple stitch around the various comic book panels, and finally around the borders, either stitch in the ditch or as a shadow quilting on them as well. It will go quickly.

MattE's huge Constellations quilt is a bit more complex. And huge. I did say huge. With the flannel backing, it is also heavy. It seems like it will work with a diagonal stitch on both sides of the blocks. Its going to be a strain on my body to lift it through the machine, holding it on my lap and pushing it around on the table. All those rolling methods and laying out on the table sound good until I get to tugging and lifting and pushing and praying. I do the best I can to make sure the stitches work on both sides and then just give it a go.

There was a lot leftover batting from The Great Pumpkin, and only a side strip from Constellations. Basting on the big tables is yet another place where the final check of seams is done. Usually, the quilts have been ok, however, this time, on the Constellations, I discovered a few seams in the same row that need re-seaming. It will be an easy fix and one I am glad to have caught. Usually its not a problem finding them as I press it over the ironing board. Interestingly, the row in question was within that first block to the side edge.

Yet, the fact that they were missed made my thoughts go into that icky place of self-criticism. I mean really. Whyever do I need to do that to myself? Its fixable, correctable, and no big deal. Basting, for as easy as it is and for as little time it takes, is still enough as a project for the day.

THEN, I didn't have paper or a writing tool to put a note-to-self, so pinned where the boo-boos are. I tried hooking several safety pins together as sort of a flag. I do NOT want to leave pins in this quilt. So now, it means I will have to be a little obsessive in checking where they are and fix them.

Someone once told me that all bets were off once you basted. However, these boo-boos, if you will, are on one side close to the edge so I am breaking the rule and will take that part apart.

Luckily, the rest of my time was spent working on some of the Swap-bot exchanges. There will be at least 7 of them ready to ship by mid-week. I want to mail off some letters and cards to family as well.

I loaded dark thread into the bobbins again to do another round of repair on Amy's Cat Quilt, and light thread to work on my Sister Debra's Mystery Quilt. This was another choice I made today. All this talk I've put out before about planned randomness went out the window. I decided to really be random with it and see where it gets me. If I hate it, then I know that doing something without a plan will not work. However, I have to try it and this is where it happens.