Learned a Lesson

OK, I learned a lesson tonight.

I have the turtle quilt sandwiched, basted, and on the frame.

When I bought the backing I bought some really cool thread that the woman at the shop told me I could quilt with as long as I used this stuff called "Thread Heaven." Well, she was wrong. I have completed one block and it has been a disaster.

I should have quit with the first spiral, but I kept thinking I just needed to get the feel of the thread down, but no. It is just too thick.

I admit I know nothing about thread. This is labeled 40/3 and I really thought it looked too thick, but she assured me it would work, even though she admitted she did not do a lot of hand quilting.

I'm so disgusted with the results that I am going to pick it out and start over with a different thread. I have some 200m Cotton I am using on another quilt, but I am afraid to start a second one with it in case I can't find that color and won't have enough to finish the other quilt. I am no judge of how far a spool of thread will go and how many projects it will cover.

I guess I will be going on a thread shopping trip tomorrow after I do a little research.

Turtle Quilt Back

I finished the turtle quilt back tonight. I hope to sandwich the quilt tomorrow and put it in the frame for quilting.

Floor Quilts

I made a great discovery today. I want to Quilter's Workshop in Carrollton, TX and found a book called "Floorquilts!: Fabric Decoupaged Floorcloths-No-Sew Fun" by Ellen Highsmith Silver.

I asked the woman working there about the book and they actually had two floorquilts made up and the other woman working there had made them. She came out and sat down with me and told me things she found in the book that did not work well and some other hints. She was really great and it was very uplifting to meet someone so willing to share.

This project is pretty far down on my list, but it is definitely one I am going to try.

Cat Quilt Top Complete

I have completed the top of the cat quilt. It has been a challenge because I forgot one of the rules my quilting teacher told us, do not use a stripe in a border. Not only did I use a stripe, but I used a wavy stripe. Fortunately, a wonderful employee of Quilt Country took a look at the top for me and told me about some techniques I might try and around midnight Wednesday I came up with my own technique to try to match the sides borders to make them long enough. I just wish had figured it out before I redid the one border six times trying to get it close to meeting my approval. The border is far from perfect, but they will have to do or the quilt will never be done.

I am very excited about the backing. I'm still working on the exact design, but I am very happy with the fabric selections.

When you look at the pictures, just remember that I alternated the panels so that no matter what end Jill is sitting at she can see some of the great cat pictures in the panels.

I wish I had a better way to take pictures of the quilt tops. These pictures really do not do it justice.

Whole quilt top.

Close up pics of a couple of the sections of the cat quilt.