Hands, knees, and boomps-a-daisy

It doesn’t take much to guess what I’ve been doing.  After I finished assembling the quilt backing for my burgundy and cream cobblestone quilt, I took a trip to my local quilt shop, Thimble and Threads.  I checked out all the varieties of batting on offer, cotton, wool, poly, and mixtures.  I personally love the wool batting, but would not use it in a “give-away”quilt, as this current project will be.  Although I would carefully wash a quilt containing wool batting by hand, there are no guarantees that the recipient will.  The next decision to make was to choose the quilting thread.  I love the look of variegated thread and there were several choices in the burgundy colour way.  I was lucky that both Anne and Margaret were available at the shop counter to help me decide. 

Variegated for the top and plain for the back of the quilt

By moving the recliner chairs right back against the walls, I had just enough room to lay out the three quilt layers.  Backing first, all carefully smoothed out.  Then the batting, which I had to first join down the middle, that went over next, then finally the quilt top.  It was a very hot afternoon, although the windows were wide open, the sliding door was open, and the fan was going.  So hot in fact, that I had to keep getting up to go and wash my hands and face trying to cool down.  Robin’s task was to take a couple of photos but he had strict guidelines to work with.  “Don’t show my red, hot face, and no photos of my derriere”. 

Working on my hands and knees

With the bulk of the pins in place, I could  pick the quilt off the floor and moved out to the coolness of the back deck.  There I rolled the quilt up and unwound part at a time over the timber picnic table to put the last of the pins in place.  The cool air and gentle breeze as delicious!  Thank goodness that job is out of the way.  I’ll need a break before starting the machine quilting as my shoulders are a little tender today.