Out Of Step

Out Of Step. 

I feel like I've been a little out of step lately. Trying to balance this new school year with 2 kids and homework, finding time to keep up with the store, housework, gym time... uh, the list could go on. The Holidays always bring on a new overwhelming sense of stress. amiright? 

I'm pretty much a step behind. I know I will catch up. One step at a time. 

Maybe a few extra gray hairs :)

This pattern can be found in the list of free patterns offered by Robert Kaufman.

As soon as I saw it, I needed to make it! I have never done an all solid quilt. I pulled a bundle I had been saving from Art Gallery fabrics and got to work!

I started this quilt at the beginning of the year. I shared a few progress posts here, there, under there and over there. Although I had the top finished, and every intention to complete the quilt at the time, it got placed in a pile and forgotten. I rediscovered it a couple of months ago, found the perfect backing and binding for it in my stash - something I had bought years ago and was saving for an unknown project. I had just the right amount! 

 

I mostly quilted straight lines, following the flow of the quilt. I had started to fill the 'maze' with lines, but after the first section, decided it was too many lines. So, I unpicked 2 rows. Even with all the turning required, I had it quilted in about 4 days. I filled the extra spaces with offset triangles.

I am so in love with how it all turned out!

I asked my little girl to hold my camera while I put the quilt out on the ice. Naturally, she snapped a few shots of me.  

Frozen lakes make me nervous. But, I couldn't resist the forming ice.

I stayed on the bank, and hoped it was frozen enough to support me. But if not, then at most I would only have a really cold boot. :)

I love all the texture the light shows. 

I wouldn't mind having a wintery picnic. right. here.

Just look how gorgeous this lake is!

Oh! I nearly forgot! I had one last hurdle to jump before getting this quilt done. I did a bias binding, which I've done several times before. For some reason, I had a bit of a rolling problem with this one. It might have been that I didn't have it lined up just right when I turned it over. I may have even stretched it a bit while pressing. I thought I could get over it; maybe it would fix itself in the wash. 

I was nearly finished with it, and decided I just didn't like it. I could do better. So, I took it all out. I used a few more (or all of them) of my Wonder Clips, and started over. It turned out so much better!

There was still a small amount of rolling, but barely noticeable. I'm sure after a wash or two, it won't even bother me :)