still slaving away

I'm working hard to try and get some finishes for the joy in the new year challenge over on Jacquie's blog. I have, though, lost my list of things to do, and now I have no idea how far I've gone with the list. I THINK I'm up to this little lot so far....

Ginger's hex quilt
christmas dolls (5 down, more to go)
Annabelle's baby quilt
value quilt
christmas quilt

The spiderweb is coming along nicely. I now have the backing pieced. I wish I could get more of that cursive writing fabric, but it's gone forever, I can't find it anywhere. Makes me sad. I think it'd be perfect for any project. If you spot it anywhere, let me know, I'd love more. Really would love a whole bolt, but that's crazy talk. I'm going to quilt it in lines, kind of like this quilt of Tia's. I'll start with wider lines, just in case I can't bear the tedium. It uses a whole lot of thread, and time and patience, and I'm not sure I'm strong willed enough to do so many lines.

Spidey is going to end up smaller than originally planned, partly so I can quilt it without having a breakdown and partly because the husband pointed out it was going to be too big for anything if I wasn't careful. So rather than a king sized quilt it's a double...or a king twin. I'm not sure, but it's about 70 x 80 inches, or 5.5/6 feet across, 6.5 long. Or so. Big enough, yes?





Speaking of crazy talk, Hope Valley has hit stores. I pre-ordered a half yard set of the collection on fabfanatic and I don't think it's going to get here before January. I did save money buying it that way, but I'm almost annoyed with myself for not just snapping up everything as soon as it hit the stores. To make myself feel better (and to give myself a pre-christmas treat) I have ordered more half yards from Dana. Not that I could even consider starting anything new with a list that seems never ending to get through. Looking at them will be enough. I want a bolt of a few of those too. I think I NEED to back quilts in Hope Valley. NEED, as in couldn't live if I didn't. Especially the grey and the pink ones.

So, we're into December. Ack. I have to finish off my mum and dad's quilt (otherwise known as the one I really hate). I'm picking it up from the quilter's this afternoon. Now that is a big one. Too big for my frame, and I'm so glad I sent it out for quilting, I would have cried if I'd have done it. I know Chris will have done an awesome job, so I'm looking forward to seeing it, and getting the binding on.

Update on the frame....I have decided that Kreiger the German doesn't like Liberty prints. I was having a complete bitch of a time finishing off the first quilt I put on the frame, and so I took her inside for a stern telling off and a fiddle about. On practise sandwiches she was fine - beautiful, worked like a dream. Back on the frame, spitting and snapping threads and getting all in a lather with herself. I practised on a liberty print quilt sandwich inside. Same thing happened - so it is quite possible that the slightly sticky fabrics are causing too much pressure on the thread and it snaps. (they are a bit like silk - you know how the needle almost sticks to the fabric? I know what I mean, it does...honest). When I piece liberty tana lawns I use a really sharp, fine needle, but I can't use that when I quilt (threading the bloody needle is one reason - it's a nightmare). Part of the problem might be that the backing is tana lawn too, so the poor thing has to quilt through 2 layers of slippery, silky, sticky tana lawn, and it's getting annoyed. So was I. But now I'm feeling a bit better, and hopefully I can get another quilt on to the frame next week and finished in time for Christmas.

But now, back to the doll factory. I have another three to do, one has to be finished for the weekend so I can mail it off, the others are going out next week. It's nice to be busy, and I have really missed making dolls for people.