Now Comes the Fun Part (and various other thoughts)

I'm finally getting to the best part of the project - the quilting. I wish that I had the time, the expertise and the equipment to do hand quilting. I think I mentioned the quilts in Lancaster County. They are all totally hand-made, from the piecing to the actual quilting, and they are really a work of art.

Nowadays, machine quilting is pretty much the norm. When I took my quilting class, the instructor tried to get us to do "stippling", which is a method of free-style machine quilting. For starters, my 40 year old Touch N Sew wouldn't do that. And, even if it would, I had no idea how to do it! Nor did I have any confidence in my ability to keep a continuous pattern going. So I fell back on the tried and true method of "stitch-in-the-ditch." It has its own challenges, but is certainly easier and presents an acceptable product. As long as these are being made and given in love, I can't presume perfection.


Here you can see a bit of the challenge - getting the bulk of the quilt rolled up under the arm of the sewing machine! Most of the newer machines take that into consideration and do afford ample room for the size quilts that I make. I can't imagine trying to do this with a king sized quilt! Anyway, you can also see how pretty the backing fabric is. This will be nice enough to be "reversible". I will need to decide on the binding pretty soon. My choices are to use the floral background fabric or the backing. I'm open to either one. Anybody have a preference?

Among my other thoughts, one is a praise for a good report from Graham's doctor yesterday. He has been having trouble with reflux for several years and finally broke down and had the "scope" exam of his esophagus and stomach last week. His doctor found that he has a mild case of duodenitis that can be controlled medically. He also stretched an area at the base of the esophagus that makes eating a much more pleasant experience.

We are getting closer to our trip to France and it seems the travel shows know that! Rick Steves had a program on Paris tonight and spent some time in the Louvre. I think I'm going to purchase a book on the Louvre from amazon.com so we can decide before we get there just what we want to see. We will have two free days in Paris before our river tour begins. I have a couple travel books with some good suggestions, but again, I'm open to all options.

Finally, another grand-niece is coming to visit! We are looking forward to having Bekah come all the way from Pennsylvania to see the "real" San Antonio over the Easter holiday. Her sister Kate spent several days with us last Fall. With two more siblings in the wings, I think we might get into the hospitality business! Graham and I are sure seeing a lot of our city we've never seen before - and we've lived here over forty years! So here's a third opportunity for the suggestion box. Where's the best place to show off San Antonio?

I'll leave the door open for all your suggestions!