I've been working along on this interesting pattern (above) and have made about half of the required blocks for a lap quilt. As the pattern suggested, putting a little yo-yo in the center where the 'flowers' meet seems like a good idea. I've pressed the blocks with a bit of starch to tidy them up. My 'real' colors are more subtle than this photo.
My sewing has included a lot of hand quilting, and I have a very sore thumb. It's not sore from hand quilting - it's dry and cracked from handling fabric, and I cannot even pick up my pins! Poor me. 8-(
I'm making good progress with hand quilting my Easy Peasy Scrappy Spool Quilt (whew!, what a name!). The entire center is quilted, the triangle setting triangles are done with hearts, and most of the first border is done with "egg and dart" pattern, and about one side of the squares-on-point are quilted. My hand quilting is nothing to write home about, just routine and utilitarian on this quilt, about 6 stitches to the inch, but the process is restful and keeps me from getting impatient with DH during episodes of remote-control-clickamania.
And look at the backing! Isn't it just perfect?
These are my hand quilting needles - the best I've ever used. Before finding these, I was sold on English needles, named something like James, but they bent right away. These Japanese needles are VERY sharp, and they do NOT bend. They DO break, but I've only used ONE NEEDLE on this Spool Quilt. A previous quilt required about 8 needles as they broke, but the package is not expensive. I use size 8 or 9. There are so many variances with hand quilting; fabric, needle size, thread, batting, my own attitude, humidity, and most of all, patience and determination. I lapse on the last two requirements.
