The Second Class Block

Second Class Block

This is a really small picture of the second block for my monthly class. I still need to finish one more (everything is made in pairs) but all I have to do on that one is the stippling. The circles were made with twin needles and a walking foot, then cross-hatched an inch apart. There's stippling everywhere else.

I've found that I'm nearly afraid of stippling, I tense up and my shoulders get tight and everything aches after a while because I'm so tense. I know I need to relax more but it's hard! I've only stippled a few times and I know that I can't be perfect at it from the start but for a beginner that's pretty darn good! Once I'd finished though, I went and showed mum and she was impressed. She even told me I'm a better machine-quilter than her! But I'm the one taking the class, so I should be!

I've reasoned with myself that stippling is artistic scribble with thread, it's not meant to be perfect. I was looking through an Australian Patchwork & Quilting magazine and I noticed the mistakes I made with stippling were the same mistakes on one of the project quilts. When I showed mum, I tried to point out the mistakes I made (overlapping stitches, pointy bits, etc) but when I tried to find them I really couldn't. Not because there was so few or many mistakes, but because the stippling blended with the fabric and wasn't obvious enough to stand out. She was impressed and I do like impressing her. Anyone else who sees it is usually impressed too (or being nice) so I can't complain.

I can't wait to show the girls when we have our next class this Wednesday. Last month they were ready to kill me for my blocks, this time I hope they'll be just as envious! =)