Experiments

definite theme is developing with this quilt: find ways to use up all those random experimental blocks that I made to try things out but then didn’t actually know what to do with.  Oh, and break the rules a bit and don’t do things you’re supposed to do with proper quilts.  Which is why I’ve got my two paper-pieced butterflies on the back, when most people would say they should probably be on the front of something, not hidden away on the back.  But again, they’ve been sitting on my desk for months waiting for me to figure out what to do with them (in fact, the pink butterfly needed some serious cleaning before I could use it, because I discovered Parsnips had obviously decided it was a comfortable place to sleep at some stage, so it was covered in cat fur) – a few people suggested I turn them into cushions, but they wouldn’t fit anywhere in my house, and I couldn’t think of anyone they’d suit to give them to.  So I reckon being on the back of a quilt is a much better fate than being abandoned and unloved (except by the cat) on my desk.  And as this is intended as a quilt to be used, not hung prettily on the wall, the back will probably get seen just as much as the front.  And most importantly, I just thought they looked cool there 🙂

So now I have a front and a back – must be time to bite the bullet and start quilting! I’ve carefully read all the instructions in the Molly Hanson book on how to properly prepare for free-motion quilting, and yesterday I walked over to Hands (yes, on the hottest and muggiest day of the summer so far – sensible decisions are not my strong point) and bought sewing machine oil so I can properly clean and oil Granny’s machine before I start, and I got nice new cotton so it won’t break or fray, so here we go…