Nikolai's Quilt: The Quilting Starts

I said that I needed to post updates and progress on this quilt. (it has been about 1.5 years since starting this thing), and I said I would link up with Free Motion Quilting.com... So I need to stick with that because this needs to get done...

 I started it, my first time free motion quilting a quilt. The quilting part is more for the back than anything else, and I am sort of wishing that I used a light colored thread... But Brandon likes it, and Nikolai keeps wanting to touch it.

 

The goal is to have the back of the quilt look like the jellyfish are in a kelp forest, kind of.. So I am tring my best to do that. So far, it is hard to see the back, but up close it looks pretty cool. My stitches look pretty sad and pathetic, but for my first time doing a blanket I am impressed!

 

My set-up is sad looking though. I usually have my machine in the craft room, but I am trying to organize that room and the cat box is in there. Nikolai tries to climb the kiddie gate to get into the room, and I don't want him in the cat box. So the machine is out in the dining room area on a TV table at the moment. The quilt hangs on the top of the jumperoo so it isn't pulling itself down... One thing I did that is not shown here is that I also have another TV table behind the one the machine is on. I guess one has to do what one has to do to make it work. I have one and a half rows done, 4.5 more to go.

It was working. I have not done much on it these last few days due to a migraine (which has come and gone since Wednesday) and an upset stomach (which has pretty much been every day since Wednesday too). I think it is stress and stress is not fun. At least that is the only explanation I have for it.

That and Mom and I got together this Sunday for the Craftsy Block of the month. Only for me to put up the feed dogs, switch to my regular foot and find that my machine will only sew in reverse! I was so frustrated! What a way to add to the stress. Good thing she brings the machine she borrows from Grandma with her, because we would have been out of luck and no machine that worked. So it took us forever to do the first block for this month, trading back and forth on one sewing machine. It made me sad. I still have so much I wanted needed to do. I got so frustrated I tried to force the lever to make it sew the right way and I broke the lever. I know I should have known better, frustration never makes anything better.

 

It makes me sad, it would probably cost more to fix my silly machine than it did for me to buy it! Of course, that is not for sure. I hope not! It was a cheap machine though. Hurrah for Wal-Mart!

 

Anyway, back to the quilt. I was concerned Brandon wasn't going to be happy with it. He is a little bit of a perfectionist and the quilting isn't anything close to being perfect. But his response when I showed him was "cool". So that is a good thing! :)

It will be interesting to see the difference between my first column and the last column when it is done. I am hoping that I get better, and that it is noticeable, even though that may be a little silly looking when it is done...

And here is a picture of the back. It is a little hard to see the quilt work. but it isn't very close to being done yet, but at least it is started! :)

I wanted to have a list of my UFO's, but that is going to have to wait for now, the short period of time without a headache is slowly coming to an end and I need to get some sleep...

Until next time...