It's been a while since I've done an update on the various projects I'm working on. I have 2 major ones on the go right now. I'm finishing up the piecing in Three of a Kind.
The center is all together. All that is left are the borders. I have some piecing left to do on one of them, but it shouldn't take too much longer to get this done. It's my UFO assignment for May, so I'm cutting it rather close.
The other thing I'm working on is the quilting for In Full Bloom, a design by McKenna Ryan.
 The tension on these has been giving me issues. I love these quilts, and the detail possible because of the fusible applique. My quilting machine, on the other hand, doesn't like them anywhere near as much. There are tension issues. Thankfully, although I can feel them, they aren't all that visible, and since this will be a wall hanging, I'm going to live with the tension blips.


It's almost halfway done. Other than the aggravating tension problems, this has been a lot of fun to quilt. I've discovered that if I loosen the top tension and the bobbin tension about as loose as they can go, and use a much bigger needle than recommended, it reduces the problems, somewhat. The bigger needle leaves nasty looking holes in the fused pieces, but my research says that spritzing it with water will close the holes. I tried it, and it works. I'm linking up with Canada's The Needle and Thread Network and also with Lee's Work in Progress Wednesday. I am really hoping to have both of the projects done by the end of the month. So, with that goal in mind, I'm off to sew.

Well, actually, it was a last weekend finish, that I said I was going to post a picture of on Monday. But, as usual, the week got away from me, and here it is Friday, already. Last weekend, I finished the second UFO in a month, and got it to the flimsy stage. It's a McKenna Ryan design called In Full Bloom.
 There are a lot of little teeny tiny pieces cut and fused on this thing. And now that it is to this stage, it obviously has to be quilted.
 All of the flower petals in this picture to the left are all individually cut and fused.... yes, I know, I'm insane. And now, they all have to be quilted down. This one has me scared, because I'm not too sure just how well my machine will handle the layers of fusible. I used Steam-a-seam lite, so it isn't really stiff and thick, but there are some areas with four or five layers. I have done some wall hangings in the past that have had fusible on them, and my machine has hated them. But I've done a few of my own using the same fusible product as in this one without too much trouble.
I think this block with the hanging planter and the humming birds is my favourite of the whole quilt. I have made one decision about the quilting for this quilt..... it will have a print fabric on the back to hide any possible tension issues developed from the layers of fusible. Oh, and I've made another decision.... I'll use invisible thread in the top so I don't have a million thread colour changes, and very fine Bottom Line thread in the bobbin, probably a taupe or a grey. Past that point, I'm doing an awful lot of pondering and thinking about how to tackle this thing. It's a couple of months away from being tackled. Hopefully, I'll come up with a solution by then. If not, I'll dive into it, and hope for the best. I'm going to link this post up to Finish It Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.

Well, here we are again, another Monday, and Cactus Rose remains up on the wall. There has been progress, though. Pinned up here beside her on the wall are all of the base curve pieces I need for the rest of the borders, and half of the arcs I need, all finished and de-papered. There are more of the arcs in various stages of being finished. I still need to do the top parts. Getting this far was my goal for March, documented and posted as # 87 in the goals linky party on the Lovely Year of finishes.


     

The other thing up on the wall is a McKenna Ryan quilt, called In Full Bloom. I put it up there last week in the middle of a snow storm in the effort to make the place look more like spring. I also needed to get some fabric for the borders, so I wanted to study it for a while. The borders are purchased, and I also managed to spend a bit of time with my fabrics and tiny scissors, and finished the middle block with the bunny. So, this one is all ready to sew together and get the borders on. I'm not going to put a time on this one. I want to concentrate on getting poor old Cactus Rose finished first. I think she's waited long enough. And, although she may be gorgeous, I must confess that I'm getting awfully tired of looking at her. But I will persevere and get her done.
I'm linking up to Judy's Design Wall Monday and also to the Finishes party for the Lovely Year of finishes.