Another Finish!

I have a box with tops waiting for quilting which I rummaged through tyring to find something that would work for me to try out some new rulers/templates that I had purchased for quilting out a swag border.  Nothing in my stash was calling to me for the type of quilting I was wanting to work on.  Then  I had that "ah ha!" moment.  I had stashed away an older top that was the 2nd piece quilted on my Grace/Juki frame, I believe about 2003.  The quilting was terrible and I stuffed it away with the idea that maybe someday I would rippit (frog stitch) out and start over.  Found the box storing that and it was a perfect match for the quilting job that I wanted to experiment with.   No fears either because if I messed it up - oh well it was not living a beautiful life anyway.  I have had it off the frame for a few days.  One side of the binding is stitched down and waiting on handwork time to finish the binding.  Complete pics to follow soon.   Here are a few from last week:

I tried using a "preview" celophane type paper to lay on top of your block and sketch out quilting details.  You can erase your markings with alcohol.   I like the paper, it really helped to get a feel of how you wanted to stitch things out w/out having to draw out a block to scale or having to photo and print copies of your block to sketch on.

I recently worked on a smaller piece that I grabbed a smaller tape measure to determine how long to cut borders.   When I plopped it all on my design wall, the borders were just wrong!  I decided to check my tape since this is not the one I usually use and look at that!!!!   I wonder if others have border issues because the tape and the cutting mat don't measure out the same?

Next, I just have to show you what was going on @ my feet while quilting this top.  The cats discovered it was so much fun to unroll the batting and play hide and seek in it.  Even more fun?  Tearing holes through it!  My son even had to get in on the action and moved his bean bag chair and a pillow into my room, propped against the batting bar and worked on his schoolwork....   Every day is an adventure!

Notice the cat at the left side front UNDER the batting and one to the end of the bolt.

See the little black "mouse" laying on the carpet too?  Kricket brings it to you to toss across the room and she will bring it back to you to toss again and again,

Big Tigg napping from his bird watching seat - he does not get involved in the batting tumble game.  Bottle in the window has water in it to spritz the cats to stop their antics!

We can't forget about finding Kricket napping on the top either.

Maybe soon I will have the actual quilt pictures and not all the antics leading up to it becoming a quilt.   As they say, every quilt tells a story....