Light Bulb Moment!

 

Have you ever had one?

 

 

Oh my goodness!  I just looked up when I started this project.....wait for it.....

February 2nd, 2011.

(wearing the cone of shame)

This was the time in blogland where value quilts were quite the rage.  I drank the Koolaid.

These original twenty-three blocks grew to this!

 

 

A scrappy Bow-Tie quilt.

So many different colors, prints and designers in there.

And oh my!  How Harry Potter-ish and little my Ben looks!

 

 

This is how I've always basted my quilts...on the floor.  Back breaking, leg-cramping, "I will never do this again!" quality time.

Not!

 

So, I got to thinking.  I wanted to quilt.  Something.  Not too big.  This value quilt seemed perfect.

(I can't believe it's been three years since I started it!)

Thought about basting it.

I even rolled the rug in the kitchen up to psyche myself up.

Walked by the tile floor a few times.

Got out the batting.

Walked by the floor.

Picked out a large piece of fabric hubs had thoughtfully bought for me at a garage sale he and Ben stopped at a couple of years ago.

Walked by the floor again.

*Sigh*

 

 

Took a picture.

 

 

Took another.

 

And then walked by my living room wall...

You know.

The one that has a huge empty space because I don't know what to do there.

...and got to thinking...

isn't a wall the same thing as a floor, just tipped upright?

I know what you're thinking, "Oh no u di'n't!"

 

 

Well, yes.  I did.

I had two of my three handsome assistants hold the backing fabric up against the wall while I taped it.

Then they held up the batting.

More tape.

Then the finished quilt top.

Even more tape.

 

W.H.Y. have I never thought of this before?

Using curved, basting pins

 

I got to stand upright and pin the top of the quilt and sat in a chair for the bottom part.

Easy peasy.

No sore back.

No messed up tape job on the floor from walking over the quilt or accidentally pulling up the tape.

No cats trying to nap on the quilt or photo-bomb the process.

 

 

Taping the quilt to the wall took longer than pinning it!

I was very careful when using the pins so as not to scratch the wall paint.

I started quilting it immediately.

Here it is on the machine.

 

 

Even our cat Gizmo can't believe how fast and smooth that whole process went!

(and is wondering why napping on a quilt on the floor-when it's obviously there for that purpose-is a bad thing...and giddy she still got a photo shot in the post!)

 

I enjoyed getting some encouragement and ideas from you last week.  I think I will make more in different colors for a lap quilt.  Just love the original photos of the inspirational blocks!

Thanks ladies!

 

Come on over for a virtual quilt show!

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