Books and Long Arm Quilting
Sunshine, new audio books and time. How lucky can a girl get? Today I'll be in the quilting studio, listening to books and spending that block of time doing what I love, Quilting.
New Books
If you've been following along, you know I've been reading The Motivation Myth by Jeff Haden. That is my "car" book. I also have a "bedtime" book, usually a novel. This book can also be my "quilting" book. Generally, I listen to audiobooks rather than read paper or eBooks since they allow me to work on other projects while listening.
My current listen is A Well Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler. This novel about Alva Vanderbilt and her family during the Gilded Age in New York. I just started listening to this one, so I'll comment more later.
Waiting in the wings is The Huntress by Kate Quinn. I discovered this book from a review written by TotorosTomes. Totoro is my fur-cousin and he is a terrific book reviewer. Check him out! His recommendation on the book is four paws. It has everything you can ask for in a novel, an English journalist, a Russian pilot, and a Nazi war criminal hunt. I do tend to like history based novels.
I highly recommend audio books. My go to source is my local Library. A Library is by far the greatest gift a community can offer its citizens. Most are connected to a library system which provides a wider network for acquiring books. With a library card and an internet connection, the world can truly be your fabric (I know the expression is oyster, but I don't understand the appeal of oysters. Now fabric, that is appeal I can understand!).
Audible.com is another source for audio books. I purchase a block of credits and then use them to acquire books I either can't find at the library or want to have for repeat listening. The link gets you a 30 day trial to Audible Plus which converts to monthly. Cancel at any time.
Black Cherries Progress
Black Cherries is on the design wall. Yeah! All the pieces were in the box. Yeah! And yesterday I completed one of the corner basket blocks. Another Yeah!
This one is going to take away since I'm not focusing my time on this quilt. It is just a UFO I plan to finish, and it will happen via bits and pieces along the way.
Sunshine Means Long Arm Quilting
My plan for today is to concentrate on my custom quilt project. I've been looking forward to working on this quilt for awhile now so having a full day to give it my attention is a real treat.
Today's plan includes basting the quilt and SID work. SID stands for Stitch-in-the-ditch. SID is used to further stabilize the quilt for the detail quilting that will be added in the next steps. Generally, the block areas are outlined with a finer stitch right along the join seam between a block and another block or sashing. It is also used between the quilt body and any borders on the quilt.
Because it is important for the SID stitching to "be" in the ditch, this part of the process can be long and tedious. Going slow and being careful ensures proper placement of the SID lines. As a fellow quilter once said "Stitch-in-the-ditch must be IN the ditch!"
For my SID work, I like to use a microfiber thread, which is exceptionally fine, in a neutral color. My favorite "go to" thread for SID work is Superior Threads Microquilter in color 7026. This color may seem a bit of an odd choice as it is a grayish, green color. However, it virtually disappears on almost every color of fabric.
What do you read or listen to while you quilt?
Until next time,