Hitting the road...

The sleigh is packed, including the sewing machine -- I still have quilting to do!

But until I return to the land of the Internets, I leave you with this, one of my all-time favorites:

Merry Christmas, all! I hope you get all your projects done in time!

Wrestling the waffle...

Amaizin' Blue is done, but not without some lessons learned:

• As enticing as cuddly, stretchy waffle fleece may appear in the store, it's not the most cooperative when it comes to quilt backing.
• Spray basting does not stick to this stuff, so you have to pin the daylights out of it perpendicular to the quilting direction so it won't slip.
• Pick up an extra package of basting pins (or two) while you're at Joann's so you don't have to make a return trip.
• Do minimal quilting, preferably only in one direction to avoid pinches on the back.
• Use a long stitch length.
• This would really be a bear without a walking foot.
• A heavier polar fleece would probably have been a better choice (less stretch).
• Don't use batting unless you really like to complicate things and enjoy ripping out stitches.

On a side note, has anyone else noticed how flimsy the newer Dritz basting pins are? Compared to the ones I bought about six years ago, these new ones are considerably more bendy (read: cheap) and give way too readily -- which means the cat (and little fingers) can actually open them now.

All in all, I'm happy with the quilt. It's lightweight but still cuddly -- Archie tested, Archie approved -- and it washed up wonderfully, but it took me longer to pin baste the darn thing than it did to actually quilt it. So it may be a while before I use this as a backing again.
 
On the upside, it's another one done way before Christmas! Woo-woo!

More progress...

...of all sorts, I'm happy to report!

Two out of three UFO's have been checked off my list. One Christmas gift is complete, and another should be done by tonight. I could go on about how much I adore the striped binding I made for it, but I won't -- I don't want to sound like a total quilt geek.

Yeah, it's probably too late for that.

Yes, that's a toilet paper roll. Don't laugh, it works.

I've saved the hardest -- or rather, the most problematic UFO for last. I'm still playing with the layout, and nothing is working so far...but I'll keep plugging away. It's gotta become something within the next few days or I'm going to have to break down and take a trip to Toys 'R Us. Ugh.

Let's pray that doesn't happen.

A little amazin' blue...

Just some inside University of Michigan reference, there...though I don't know how good of an idea this is, given the big Maize & Blue finished their season in last place in the Big Ten this year -- for the first time since 1962.

Zheesh.

It seems a fitting Christmas gift for its intended recipient, who shall, at this point, remain nameless...but might be able to figure it out that it's for them, anyway. I'm just that transparent.