My Pastel Strippy top is a bit hard to photograph because the white borders are lost against the design wall. You'll just have to imagine you can see where they end.

This isn't a big quilt, it should fit a double bed nicely, and hopefully I can do some great feathers in all those white strips. I'm very glad to have this crossed off the list, I think I started it in 2012.

On Sunday we had a picnic at Wirrabera Forest, slowly recovering from the devastating  bushfires  two years ago. It will never be the lovely spot it was, but it was still nice to show Izzy the trees and paths for the first time.

She walked off and stood calling "An-mals! Where are you? You hiding?" After a visit to a childrens zoo recently I think she expected kangaroos and possums and who knows what to come out and greet her.
She did some log walking, helped by Mum and Dad, and then we went for a walk, taking it in turns to carry her.

 There was so much fine powdery soil/ash and so many obstacles that we didn't go far, the tracks aren't really pleasant or easy to negotiate any more.

Still we had a lovely day in the sunshine and enjoyed each other's company.

She'll be two at the end of next month, gosh that time has flown....

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 I've been busy doing lots of things lately, dealing with produce from my son's garden, babysitting and visiting with family, trying to finish some projects and of course quilting.

This quilt was a huge undertaking, custom everything and to complicate matters I couldn't quilt on the applique (too stiff with some kind of bonding material) go too near the embroidery, and the back was a very thick fabric, almost like wool. The seams in it proved difficult in a couple of places where the machine couldn't get over them easily, but in the end it all turned out well.

Some people may not realise it, but it's harder to do larger open motifs; the tiny tight quilting so beloved of some longarmers is easier, if more labour intensive. Launching a feather out into a large open space is a nail biting moment for me- is it going to come out well? Even after all this time I still agonise over it, sigh.

 There are always bits I wish I could go back and smooth out or redo, but I haven't got time to make everything perfect. And I have never come across a customer who would let me put placement marks on their top- I'm sure most of them intend to never ever wash the finished quilt at all. So I do the best I can within all the limitations, including what the customer is willing to pay.

I don't seem to have a photo of the finished quilt, perhaps it's on Keryn's camera.

I have finished another long term project, my Pastel Strippy. So many long seams!

I have to iron it and hang it up for a photo, but as you can see the English Squares is still up on the wall, because I'm loath to take it down.I just don't want to fold it up yet...

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