And I basted the monster, so I've earned another pyramid block.
But first, the quilting. (I get two blocks once this is done!) I've given myself a week to finish it.
It will be a tight timeframe, but I'm really loving quilting this. It's the biggest quilt I've even quilted myself, and I'm realising, while it's all just straight lines, that I really have to practice my breathing while doing this. Shoulders down, back straight, eyes down, breathe. Relax. Sew.
I took a rare afternoon off work today, and went to the National Gallery today to experience some incredible Australian quilts in the Collection Studies Room with some other Canberra Quilters. I saw a Mary Jane Hannaford quilt up close, and a log cabin quilt by Sarah Monument with the most exquisitely tiny blocks. There was also a crazy quilt made with gorgeous laces and hat trimmings. It made me think about the time these women spent making their quilts - I doubt they ever thought their work would end up in the National Gallery! They would have worked at night time, after the day was over, with poor light and by hand. My quilt was pieced by hand but under strong light, and it is being quilted by machine. But I'm tired when I get to quilting, as they probably were, but I tell you, I sleep especially well after an hour or two of quilting this beast (and you should see my biceps!)
I'm a few days late at catching up which means you're hopefully up to sewing the binding on your quilt by now. Keep going, it's nearly done. It's looking rather fabulous I must say! Your excursion to the secret quilt vaults of the Gallery to see rare quilts sounds really special, lots of pretty gems to admire and a connection of sorts with fellow quilters from the past.
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