I placed two IVs successfully today. Holy crap. That will probably rule out any successful IV's through the first quarter of 2008. I must not get my hopes or expectations too high.
I have obsessed a lot on work recently. Today I would like to write about quilting.
I spent a good portion of my Thanksgiving holiday working on a quilt I am making for my niece. I am reasonably pleased with how it is turning out. It is a large twin size quilt made by a pattern called "Baby Steps" from the book "P.S. I Love You 3." This book is one of my favorites - so many pretty designs.
The piecing consists of squares and rectangles arranged in a straight set. The positioning of the partial-blocks and blocks give the top a random look, although on closer look, it is not really random. I used similar colors to those used in the book: fuschia, aqua, purple, green, and yellow. I used tonal fabrics. The fuschia and yellow have patterns, while the other colors have a mottled, "marbled" texture.
The fabric choices turned out alright - it is sufficiently bright to enchant a 6 year old girl. You never know for sure how it's going to look in the end, when you are picking out the fabrics. Most of the colors are of similar values - medium-dark - but the yellow is quite bright. It really stands out. I would choose a little more contrast in the values of the colors if I were to do it again so that the yellow pieces don't jump out so much.
This weekend I finished quilting the interior of the quilt. It took about 20 hours. I quilted a lines with a floral pattern evenly spaced across the top (but not associated with the piecing). Then I filled in the background with a swirled pattern inspried by the pattern in the fuschia fabric. This was my first major piece of quilting doing free motion machine quilting. I am fairly pleased with how it turned out. While my stitches are not very consistent in size, the patterns are generally smooth and attractive. I used variagated thread, and I'm not sure I'll do that again. I don't really like the effect; some places the light thread screams out against a dark background, while other places it blends in. As I said, it should be sufficient to delight a little girl and withstand being jumped on, wrapped up, thown on the floor, and washed repeatedly. Maybe, if I'm really lucky, it will become a beloved blankie.
The quilt feels just wonderful. To me, the most captivating aspect of quilting is how the fabric takes on texture and substance when quilted. Sometimes there's a pattern you can see, sometimes it's all in the feel. The completed center is heavy and pliable with a body-hugging drape. You wouldn't think something made of flat, smooth cotton can be so cuddly, but quilting does it. After it's quilted, I brush my hand lightly over the lumpy surface and coo in hushed tones
I have to finish quilting the border this weekend. I want to show it at my quilt guild on Tuesday before I give it to my niece for Christmas.
Free motion quilting takes practice. It is possible to achieve awesome results on a home machine; I have seen some amazing things done on a small machine, not a long-arm quilter. Practice is the key. I can see improvement in my skills from the start to the finish of my work on this piece. I want to be good at it, so I keep on trying.
And now, my philosophical finale: When you live long enough, you have time for different lives. I am 42 and I have been a musician, a country-western dancer, a bowler, a registered nurse, a weight-lifter, a sewer, a singer, a computer programmer, a researcher, a salesperson, a Christian, a pastry "chef," a vegetarian, a patient, an environmentalist. (Oh, not all of these were professional!!!) I can speak a little French, Spanish, German, and even a little Japanese. I know how to finger-spell and I know a little sign language.
I look back over the years, and some of these things seem so foreign, so long ago. Like I was a different person. But no. that was, in fact, me. Very curious. Who am I to strive to be a master quilter? Is not a musician, bowler, researcher enough??
No.
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