revised priorities

I'm going to be away from home for a month so I'm revising my priorities.  I finished the basic cutting on the Bonnie Hunter Frolic, so will be ready to start sewing on that.  I'm going to defer the Westalee blocks, and the block contest goals until March.  Will work on the mini quilts, and making a baptismal gown for Elin.

Rant:
 The "mystery" concept of Bonnie Hunter is not one I like.  I fine with a mystery that spreads clues or directions out over a period of time and doesn't reveal the finished quilt until the end.  But Ms. Hunter drafts clues that seem to me to be purposely opaque in withholding information.  This particular quilt requires that certain pieces of the block be all the same fabric, so a totally scrappy look would not work.  So there have to be 4 hsts and 4 quarter triangles of the same fabric, and similar requirements on other elements.  It would have been easy for her to say, use 2 strips of 2 1/2 inch fabric that are at least x inches long and place them right sides together.  I learned from experience by starting with a strip that was too short.  It was just a waste of fabric, and very annoying.
And the second and third clues were for elements that won't be used until assembling the final quilt! (Why not start with the elements that go into the basic blocks?)  I personally think this is poor writing, and confuses and frustrates a beginner quilter.  How many of us have started one of her mysteries and just given up in frustration?
Rant over.

update on quilting goals

I've made progress on my 2020 quilting goals:

1. Complete baby quilt for Elin - done except label
2. Complete quilting on Halloween wall quilt - done
3. complete sleeves and labels for 2 quilts for March quilt show -done

next step is to make the mini quilt for the charity auction at the show.  I have to dig out my Texas wildflower fabric to get started on it tomorrow.

Elin's quilt complete except for label

I completed the binding on the quilt and the last step is to add a label with Elin's name on it. Unfortunately, my embroidery machine is in South Bend so the label will have to wait until we are there later this month.  My plan is to copy one of the balloons on the back and blow it up to make a pattern for a large balloon that can hold her name.  Then add a long string trailing down to the parade border.
Here are the photos:

quilting done on Elin's quilt

I finished the quilting on Elin's quilt, which went pretty fast, because it was all straight lines.  (about 3-4 hours).  then I set about removing the blue marks from the marking pen.  The instructions were to use cold water, apply no heat, and do this before any washing with any detergent or other agent.
It actually worked, the blue ink disappeared, and didn't flow through to the totally white back.  
I let it dry overnight, and then checked it again.  there were about six spots that didn't come out, so I applied the cold water again, and that seemed to work very well.
I've made the binding, so that is the next step.

work in process on Elin's quilt

Yesterday I got past the hard step of making the quilt sandwich.  In the past I have used the "board basting" system, but I went back to my old method of taping the backing, batting and front to the floor, and then pinning.   It was important to get the horizontal border on the backing to match up with the bottom of the top (sounds weird), so having it all laid out flat where I could see the lines was very important.  Since the quilt marking pen I used on the top is sensitive to heat, I couldn't use fusible batting either.
I used a 100% cotton low loft batting that I had on hand.  It had a scrim so I had to look up how to use it.
I learned a new memory device:  "Dimples up, pimples down. "  If the batting has been needled, to prevent bearding, the direction of the needling needs to go to the back.  so the "dimples" where the needles enter go up and the bumps created by the needles go to the back (pimples).
As to scrim, it's a mixed bag.  In this case, the scrim was on the back so it went on the back.

I did press the batting to remove creases from the folds and smooth it out.

Here are some process photos.  I actually cut the backing a little too large; normally it and the batting would be about 4 inches wider than the top on each side.
This first picture shows the batting folded in half so it could be centered on the backing.  Turned out it needed to be a bit lower than centered vertically, to cover the horizontal.

This next one shows the top positioned over the backing and batting.

and now the top is taped down both to the batting/backing and to the floor.

Then I proceeded to pin all three layers together.  I have no problem working with the pins, and pinning is faster than basting, in my opnion.  

2020 progress report on quilt goals after 1 week

1. Elin's quilt.  I have completed the front and backing, and have marked the front with a washout marking pen.  (fingers crossed).  Today is the part I dislike the most, making the quilt sandwich of the top, batting and backing.  The back is solid white except for a horizontal strip near the bottom portraying children on parade.  the tricky part will be getting that located in the right spot and keeping it horizontal. Once I get the sandwich made, the quilting is all straight line so should be fairly speedy. I think I will use the pin method to create the sandwich, and just do it on the floor.  I think that will give me better control of placement of the backing.
3. labels and sleeves.  I have completed and sewed on the label and sleeve for the blue & white quilt for the show.  The Halloween quilt has to be quilted first!
6, I am on step 3 of the Bonnie Hunter Frolic quilt, and finished sewing together the blue and white/neutral half-square triangles.  Now I am trimming them, very tedious!
Last Friday I also cleaned the floor of my studio, which involved a bit of organizing and throwing out.
So some progress!