The trouble with Cherish Nature

I was so hoping to tell you I had finished my quilt, but sad to say, I can't. 

This is Cherish Nature.  Unfinished, but so close.  Grrrrr.  Called Cherish Nature because I couldn't think of anything more original and that is the name of the fabric.  This was the third quilt top I ever finished and it has been sitting around since I started this blog.  I made it out of a jelly roll pattern from a Pam Lintott book which I modified slightly by adding sashing.  It isn't my favourite quilt in the world, but I don't hate it now either. I think the main problem is that the jelly roll didn't have the full fabric range, and so was very brown. And brown is boring. But with lots of white and the duck egg polka dot backing, I think it looks brighter.  I do love the bee fabric though. And the eggs. 

 There was a Quilting Crisis earlier in the week.  The world as we know it nearly ended.*  See.

Luckily I had very sensibly not gotten around to putting a label on before basting, so some of the puckering can be hidden by a strategically placed patch.  I need to unpick the rest. That is what you get for basting something and then leaving it sitting around.  Lesson learned. Well probably not, but we will see. 

I'm not going to show you a close up of the front. But I can say there are perfectly good reasons why you should iron your backing properly, start straight line quilting from the middle and baste really, really well.  It's back to basics next time to achieve lovely smooth quilting!  But I just want this quilt finished and it's for me, so I haven't agonised over it. If it was a gift I would have unpicked the whole thing, re-basted, and started quilting again. A new machine would help with getting a more even stitch length (Teeny Weeny just cannot handle straight line quilting anything large) but I can hardly blame her for my sloppy basting skills!

On that note, something very very exciting is coming to live here next Monday.  That's right, a new sewing machine.  *ballerina twirl*  Someone said buying a new machine is worse than a new car.  That's so right. I'm getting a Bernina 550QE.  They seem to have lots of good reviews, and it was lovely to sew with. I would really like the super big one, but it was a million dollars so there was no way.  Sewing machines are EXPENSIVE. 

So when I get the last few lines of Cherish Nature done, I'll be able to do Henry Fish: The Quilt.  Yay yay yay.

Linking up with Crazy Mum and Confessions of a Fabric Addict. 

* this may be a dramatisation of actual fact for comic effect. Alternatively, there may be a Vogon about to complete a Hyperspace Bypass up there right now.  In that case I am correct but will not have long to enjoy the moment.