Progress

Well, here's the watermelon, AND the first two blocks I've made on my new machine. I really like the ¼ inch foot, it is so much easier than using a chunk of masking tape on the machine bed ... :) I also love being able to see thru the bobbin cover and know when I'm getting close to running out of bobbin thread.



The watermelon has a weird middle right now, because I plan to turn it under, in a scoop shape, and make it look like there's a bite missing. I thought I had enough of the navy-with-red/white I used on the right side star points to use for a border, but I only had a FQ of it. I do have the dark red with teeny stars that I used on the first EQ layout, and 2 totally different patriotic fabrics I haven't used yet. I have a LOT of the two light fabrics I used on the star blocks, but I think I need to border this in something darker, don't you? What I don't use on the front, I plan to stitch together in big chunks, especially the more obvious patriotic prints, for the backing.



Here's where I am so far. Not too far off the layout I did in EQ, is it? I'd probably be faster on my old machine, I have to keep stopping and looking up things (like what the needle position should be for a perfect ¼ inch stitch and how much pressure to use against the feed dogs.) The instruction book is *gulp* 75 pages.

I collect brass cats. Nice for quilt holders across my mantel, aren't they? Normally I don't line them all up on the edge though. :)

On a different note, I'd like to thank Bonnie for her great website, and for her giving my guild permission to use the Strip Twist block and instruction pages for our guild's Block of the Month for May. At the guild meeting Tues. night, a LOT of people had nice things to say about her site, how they loved her scrap user's system, and all the creative ways of using the stash. We had a tremendous response for Block of the Month, lots of blocks made, and I think it was mainly because of the excellent instructions with pictures on Bonnie's site! THANKS, BONNIE!

I think I'll start sticking in a few gratitudes every now and then, mainly because I like reading other peoples gratitudes:

I'm grateful for a week and a half of vacation. I do love not having to set my alarm! No driving in traffic either!
I'm grateful for a good quilt guild to belong to. I love seeing everyone's things in our Sew and Tell, and even though we get bogged down in the business side of things sometimes, we also have fun.
I'm grateful that everyone liked the mandarin orange, pineapple, whipped cream, coconut and pecan ambrosia I took for guild potluck. I only brought home one largish spoonful in the bottom of the bowl, which is a definite improvement over last time, when there were so many desserts, I brought home half a pan of brownies that I DID NOT need to eat all by myself... :)