This is the quilt top, all put together as of noon today! This is just the top – next Sunday is the border, and then wait until the second class begins sometime next year. That is when we will add the batting and the back side of the quilt. And do the binding. And, I assume, the quilting. It feels pretty good to be at this point in the quilt, let me tell you!
And, in the middle of all this excitement, my foot wrapped around the cord to my iron – one I have had for 20 years at least and really like – pulled the iron off the counter, and it shattered into a billion pieces of plastic. “It’s dead, Jim,” to quote someone. Luckily, I had another iron, older than that one, as back up.
Sacrifices must be made, I guess. The sewing gods are jealous gods . . .
Ink, Yarn & Beer 
Nice! Looks like you did a good job. Alas for the iron. However, I am glad to know it’s the iron which shattered and not your foot.
Thanks, Katherine! Parts of the quilt are good – parts are dreadful! Altogether, the good outweighs the bad. This was a good class to take – I’ve taken other classes, but they really were not classes for beginners, even if advertised as such. Here, lots of good stuff. It was also a small class – 3 people – and a really good teacher. Pretty lucky, I think. Border picture next week!
Very pretty color combination. To my non-educated eye, it looks like you did a very nice job.
Thanks, Judy. Like I told Katherine – good parts, bad parts. Looking forward to the border!
A border, more pressing, and batting and quilting will make some of the imperfections you see less noticeable. Such a small class focused on the basics is really the way to find out if you enjoy the craft.
I am looking forward to doing the borders, batting, backing, and quilting. I have a machine which will be perfect for free motion quilting or whatever the teacher decides on. BTW, can you tell this is supposed to be a basket of flowers, with flowers around the center square? May be a bit too abstract for me. As well, I can see where my sewing improved over the course of putting the quilt together. That is nice.
Yes, of course I see the bowl and the flowers! I’ll be interested to see what she wants you to do with quilting.
Hmm. I haven’t done much quilting since I left Cairo, where I belonged to a quilting group, believe it or not. There’s a small quilt shop underneath our veterinarian’s office. I may need to check out the classes and get going again.
Interesting that you belonged to a quilting group in Egypt! Ex-pats? As far as classes, I think they are fun, partly for the lesson, partly for the group activity. And to get out of the house and meet new people.
The quilt shop I have been going to is in the next town – Simi – and it is such a nice place. I have been to other quilting stores, but they just don’t have that friendly quality I have found there. Besides quilting classes, they offer embroidery (machine I think), and classes in making bags and other stuff. The light is really good, too. And, it is big enough for a lot of tables, but small enough that you don’t have miles and miles of too much fabric. And the staff and teachers are great.
If you do get back into the quilting, of course you must send photos!
The group in Cairo was led by, and at the home of, a Dutch lady who had married an Egyptian. She taught some of her Egyptian in-laws to quilt. In addition, we had Australians, Brits, a Swede, and a Japanese lady (who did beautifully detailed work). All conversation was in English. Once, having learned that we ought not to bother with being in Cairo during the Eid al Fitr (the end of Ramadan), we took time off and went to Milan. I bought gloves that fit! Plus, we took a train to a suburb where I had identified a quilt shop, and I bought a carry-on bag filled with high-quality quilt fabric, in short supply in Egypt, and quilting threads. The shop attendant was Italian and spoke very little English, but we could communicate well enough for her to help me. She was astounded to be helping an American. I worked on an inexpensive Brother machine which I bought there and left at the residency for the Cathedral in Cairo when I came home, along with a good iron, both of which were put to good use by the wife of the English-speaking congregation pastor at the time.
Wow! That is an international group indeed. Great story.
Nice quilt. I admire people who quilt. It takes such detailed work and time. The women I know who quilt just love it.
Thanks, Anne. Like anything doing well, time is sometimes what it takes. The quilt is not done – only the top. In January, the class continues to do batting, backing, and binding. And then quilt it! I am not a quilter – but I have the time to learn new things, so this was a good fit. I’ve mostly sewn clothes.
BTW, your zoo series was great – didn’t get around to commenting yet, but certainly enjoyed it. Also, your photography is getting so good! It’s been a pleasure following you.
Happy Holidays!
Thanks, N! Experience is a great teacher.