Forty Winks

We have reached the end of the #Beothukstarqal, the link up opened on Saturday, on what would have been Sandra's Father's birthday. Cliff used to tell her the 15 June was the birthday of "A very important Canadian". I haven't yet linked up, though I did post an instagram photo on the day.

 I was hoping for a finish today and a photo opportunity tomorrow, but I went for 40 winks.

With my usual straight lined minimalist quilting this quilt would have been finished. The quilting has led me in a different direction. I have heard people say, the quilting leads them. Well, in case it has. As I have quilted each bit, I have found myself thinking, I'll just do this wee bit here, and then this wee bit. It has just evolved, but then that is my way through life. I know where I want to go, but am not sure how to get there, and it just bumbles along. Generally in life it has worked out, as it has in this quilt.

I outlined, or rather inlined just inside the four corner stars. I picked a neutral Aurifil quilting thread. The one with the orange casing, the 50/2. I'm not sure what that actually means, but it is the one used for machine quilting.

Next up, I outlined the centre popping star. I wanted to see how the star popped, to see where I was going. The centre of this star is four Liberty squares. I did some narrow straight lines, a foot width apart, either up and down or across and back depending on your point of view. This led me to follow the lines of the square on point that's around the central block. Five lines of quilting within this square. I liked how this intersected in the corners.

I decided the corner squares needed some extra non fussy fussiness. I started running straight lines from the two corner points, to the opposing two corner points. Then I did the same in the opposite direction. Again, I am happy now some of these lines intersect, some don't and some parts are quilting free.

I had already started quilting triangles within the outer triangles, but finished these off. And that was where I had got to at the weekend.

Sunday was Father's Day.  I had my lie and breakfast in bed as usual, which is a routine that suits me very well. I decided the best present for my husband, was for me to take myself off and sew, leaving him in the peace and quiet to re order his vinyl. So many ways to order it on the shelves ... by genre, by title, by artist, chronologically. I thought he would enjoy that.

I disappeared into my lair, my kingdom, which I share with the tools of the trade, my washing machine and tumble dryer. Originally I planned to put an armchair in here, but we put a wine rack in instead. The central square seemed to be leading me towards something more. I quilted 5 offset squares inside the offset square of Kona snow. This in turn led to another 5 lines of half triangle in the last white triangle of  the central square. I have almost completed 2 of the 4 repeats of these blocks. And this brings me to today.

Today we went to a viewing of an Art in the Garden exhibition at the local Culloden Hotel. It had been curated by a local art company, Gormleys Fine Arts. The art work in the garden was very interesting, some the usual sculptures of women, some whimsical, some fun.



 

 

Inside the exhibition continued, there were works and paintings by renowned artists, Dali, Picasso, Banksy, a great coup for Gormleys. We were lucky enough to escape the rain and then went for afternoon tea. Which was scrummy. If you look behind me, you can see a Banksy hanging on the wall. As they do, on the average wall.

 Strangely when we got home we were both exhausted! I settled down on the sofa to read for a bit, and promptly fell asleep. For a whole lot of hours! Goodness knows how I will sleep tonight. Anyhows, that was my sewing time today. The plan had been to finish the last two sections leading out from the centre, some zig zagging around the border, and sew the binding on. Tonight I was going to hand sew down the binding whilst watching an excellent programme on preventing plastic pollution. Tomorrow take the photos, blog and link up. Well, it will probably be too wet for photos tomorrow anyhow! Its just Mount Stewart is a great place for quilts in the wild.

You never know, I might have finish before the week's out and replace my link up. I will leave you with a shot of the back. I like how the quilting disappears in, and I have a little label in the corner all ready for me to embroider on. And the binding? A green spot I think. The baby bedroom, or nursery, as they are called today, is painted green.

 

I have really enjoyed this quiltalong, It has been fun, manageable in size, and time. Sandra's designs are always spot on as they say.

Helen  x
linking up with Sandra, mmmquilts
linking up with Beth, Cooking up quilts