Progress on Hanky Challenge

I've spent most of the day working on the hanky challenge. The frame is ready, sized correctly for the hanky. The inset part will have an applique in the center. That is ready to be sewn down. I used a combination of glue, (yep Elmer's School Glue), starch and thread basting to get the pieces ready. Here is the rose pinned on to wax paper -- to keep the glue from adhering it to the pattern -- glued and pinned together. I used some hand dyes and batiks to create the rose.

Here it is in a close up. Phew, it does look like a rose. I've been looking at it too closely recently. After dinner I plan to start sewing it together. I guess I will cut the backing away to get the papers out from the different pieces. I usually don't like to do that but it makes sense this time. If I get this rose sewn today I can proceed with the frame tomorrow. Then it would just be a matter of piecing some additional rows to bring it up to at least 18". I was surprised that the hanky wasn't quite square. But, it won't make any difference in the end results.

Some time this past week I finished two tops. This purple one will be loaded on Ruthie some time this week. I will be pinning it on the zippers -- maybe tonight.(That's the white mess at the bottom of the table.) I am going to try an oval ruler on this one. I still have to figure out how to get the most stitching done before I end off each time. This will have little melon shapes on the patches. Cool part is I didn't buy the backing nor the fabrics for the front. Wahoo!! And I have enough of the backing to use for binding if I want to also. I'm thinking purple varigated thread for it.

And, right behind this quilt, I have another one ready. I did break down and buy one piece of green for this next one. The rest came from my stash, including the backing. I hope to use a new pantograph that should come in this week. I'm not sure what I will use for the binding on it.

Yesterday Pat and I reorganized my studio a little bit. I had two tables back to back in the center of the room. Sewing machines were on each table so I could have two people sewing at a time. And, I had an overstuffed chair in the alcove next to my book cases. The chair was so big I really couldn't get to the books very easily. Here's the new alcove space. Sewing table and chair with the bookcases behind the chair. Much easier to get to. Then we moved the other sewing table up and put the chair back in a little corner. The new floor plan seems to be working just fine. I also went through a big square box of "stuff" from before the move. Surprisingly there really wasn't all that much in the box. I was able to put things away, throw away and I ended up with a box top (from a box of reams of paper for a copier) of things left. Needless to say I feel great about that! KEVIN -- that means there is more floor space in there if you want to come up too.

Happy Quilting All!