Hand Quilting Time Yesterday!!!

Yesterday evening after I finished stitching the center wool applique for the upcoming retreat I spoke about yesterday, I took a notion to hand quilt.

Lucky for me, I have three hand quilting projects in the works right now.  Two small quilts and one medium size quilt.  I chose to work on the one picture above.  This has been a project in the works for probably about 3 years now and will probably be displayed in my living room or bedroom when I complete it.  This quilt has traveled with me to different quilt shows in central Illinois, Columbus, Ohio, Houston, Texas and Knoxville, Tennessee.  So needless to say it's a well traveled quilt for not even being finished yet.

I was a little upset with myself when I pulled this project out if it's storage container.  Usually I'm really good about storing all the supplies I've used or am using with a project.  Well, this time I did not keep the matching threads with this project.  So I had to go scavenging around hunting up the thread colors I needed.  Luckily - I found each of the four colors!  Thank goodness!

An interesting question came up on my FaceBook page yesterday.  Someone commented and asked "How do you keep your stitches so perfect?"  The answer - I do not.  My stitches are not perfect.  I do not set out to hand quilt - or do anything for that matter - with the intention of absolute perfectionism.  I quilt for my own pleasure and satisfaction and for my business.  If what I do pleases me, I'm fine with that and never feel the need to please anyone else or to act like I'm perfect and "no it all" in any way.  I'm constantly learning and re-learning.  I will never know everything, nor do I desire too.  I like the models for my pattern designs of course to look as great as I possibly can get them, but to worry over teeny tiny little things, I just let it go.

For example....

The Dear Jane quilt.  Here are some of the blocks I've recently finished.  Each of the above blocks are not perfect and each has their own issues. Paper piecing and I do not like each other at all.  I will continue to learn the finer points of how to paper piece and not let it get the best of me.  I will be re-doing one of the blocks pictured above - because it is really bothering me.  After I finished the center purple and cream block, I've decided to tack that one up on the "do over" board.  I will re-do that block hand piecing everything first and then applique those center melons on last.  My spacing on that one for the center of the block was very off and it is not sitting well with me at all.  The other 3 - though they have minor imperfections - I'm ok with it. 

That's just how I roll......

Today, I'm piecing the outer borders for the wool applique project for the upcoming retreat project!!!