Tackling The UFOs-The Dreamweaver Has Landed

There has been some progress being made here in the quilt room at the cottage, as well as an exciting new addition that is fueling all of the progress. My birthday on the fifth of this month and Mother's Day the following week were the excuse for the new acquisition. Have I peaked your interest? I'll begin with UFOs (unfinished objects).

About a month ago, I shared a quilt top with you that I had made from charm squares (5" squares of fabric). The pile of quilt tops waiting to be quilted has been growing due to the fact that I can machine-piece them faster than I can hand-quilt them. I have always loved the look of hand-quilting but it hasn't been the quickest method, and the UFOs have been piling up. Well, no more. You may recall exhibit A - a 36" table-topper that I pieced last month.

It is now a finished quilt.

Until this month, finishing a quilt was a rare and precious event. Hand quilting is a slow and meticulous process. I live on the doorstep to Lancaster County, and around here, it is almost a sacrilege to use a machine to quilt. It could get you shunned. (just kidding). My quilt obsession has finally driven me to this rebellion:

Brother Dreamweaver Innov-is VQ3000 (a.k.a. "The Boss")

This monument to modern technology is the answer to the age-old dilemma: "So many quilts, so little time." It was specifically designed for quilters, and it does everything but shop for the fabric. I'm in quilt heaven.

The next project up for completion is my batik quilt.

I pieced it on Old Faithful last year.

Despite battling a flu-like affliction this week, I've managed to stencil on the quilting design and pin baste it together. At last count, I think I was up to 500 basting pins. I'll be quilting it on "The Boss" this week.

I haven't spent all my time indoors. I spent a week in April clearing out my gardens, and a month recuperating from a combination of poison ivy and poison sumac. It looked more like a case of jungle rot gone terribly wrong (No, I haven't been to Borneo recently). Aside from appearing severely deformed and spending at least the first half hour of every day scratching myself, there was no serious harm done. I do however begin to itch every time I even look at my gardens. At least the flowers are thriving.

These are African daisies. It is the first year I've had them. I planted them in ceramic containers and put them on my front step.

I planted calbachoa in the same containers.

In the containers on my plant stands I planted huge bunches of pansies.

I love the way they look against the blue sky.

My lilac tree bloomed. That's how I think I got the poison sumac. (So that's what that vine was that had a choke hold on my tree. Learning experiences are way overrated. Never, ever wear a short sleeved shirt when gardening.) It was literally wound around the branches and we had to hack and wrestle it away.