Quilt progress, more leaves and pink moon rising.

I've broken the rules today. I tell myself not to quilt for more than an hour or so without taking a break. Well, that's all very well if you've got all the time in the world but when deadlines are looming one does what one must.

For me today that meant 5 hours straight on the PowerQuilter. Not a sensible amount of time for someone with a dodgy back but I couldn't help myself. When you start to see how the quilting transforms baggy fabric you can't stop can you? Well you may be more disciplined but I just get carried away by the excitement of the moment. This quilt is 6 feet square but the machine copes beautifully as long as I support the weight of the quilt to prevent it pulling against the action of the needle. Even with the bulk of the quilt rolled up at the back, the big table means I have a lovely flat area to see exactly where I'm stitching.

I'm keeping the quilting stitches simple but changing the thread colour often. I'm hoping this will create the illusion of washes of colour which will modify the overall effect of the patchwork.

I'm using a combination of Cotona 50 and Aerofil threads by Madeira. I've moved from black in the centre to cream, then scarlet, olive green and finally back to black at the edges for a bit of 'weight'.

 Not something that is noticeable at a distance but it does add interest on closer inspection and it helps to blend the transition of colour between the patches.

 As you can see, I'm completely ignoring the seams of the piecing. There's still miles to go but it's satisfying to have got this far! I'll have another bash tomorrow and either break the back of the work or my own!

For a change of activity my altered book comes in handy. Here I've sprayed Brusho over Buddleia leaves. Because the paint has crept under the leaves the definition isn't perfect. In fact it's all a bit messy but I rather like the effect as a contrast to the more precise drawing in the book

And to finish on a dramatic note - here's the full moon just breaking the horizon and peeping through our beech trees. It was really quite pink - the photo doesn't do it justice but I'll keep trying.

Hope you all have a productive weekend! Thanks for reading - Linda x