TNT: Old Things, New Things

 

I don't have much progress to show off on this last TNT of the year. I finished the honeycomb section, the snowflake under it and started a geometric motif under the tulips on the Christmas Quaker. I won't put it away until that section is finished. Santa on the other hand is going in time out until the Christmas bug hits me next year. 

Plum Pudding is going along with Santa. I didn't get too far this Christmas but I did learn a lot about Victorian cross stitch. 

What's new is that I have reclaimed my dining room table for a day at least. As soon as The Mister broke down his Christmas puzzles I jumped on it. 

Until the tree comes down I can't get into the sewing room to work but I really wanted to get the Patchwork into a sandwich. I spent a ridiculous amount of time yesterday wrestling with it. I really dislike this part of the process but the pool noodle method does make it a bit easier. I was hoping to not have to drag them out but my first attempt without them was pitiful.

Now it's all hooped up and ready for me to start working on it. I struggled to make the decision to hand quilt it but I told myself that it took over a year to do all this paper piecing and appliqueing so why am I rushing the quilting?

My machine quilting is abysmal. My hand quilting is not much better but at least I can control the outcome. This is an example of one of my great grandmother's quilts I have. Look at all those tiny stitches. This is how high the bar has always been for such things. I wish I knew her secret.