Ducky-Ducky

The plan for the quilt was to hand applique the ducks, then hand quilt them. The water would be added by a very quick method called 'quilt as you go'. ... And the best laid plans come crashing down.

When I got back from holiday I found my sewing machine didn't want to sew. It had decided it didn't like being abandoned whilst I was out gallivanting around Scotland. It going to go to the sewing machine spa for a little break, but in the mean time, I'm without an effective sewing machine. 

I wanted to try strip piecing quilt-as-you-go as I want to work my way through all sorts of technique to find out what I like, and what I'm not fussy about. But that's been put on hold, and instead, I'm learning how to hand piece a quilt. Three summers ago, I hand pieced, and hand quilted Granny's Flower Garden, a quilt made from lots of hexagons. However, the technique is a little different.

I need to switch my mindset away from 'Oh noes, my machine isn't working!' to 'Great, a new technique to play with.' Sure, it would be quicker to do long straight strips by machine, but that's not one of today's options. Instead, it's hand sewing all the way.

At the Quilters' group tonight I was asked to display my work at 'Show and Tell'. All of the other items were finished projects - I did try to explain the top wasn't even complete, but was told to stand up and show. It was rather lovely receiving a round of applause. People started choosing their favourite duck.