An Anniversary & Design Wall

This week we are having another anniversary, our 51st.  Last year our 50th was spent apart (see this post).  Well, our luck has not improved this year.  Our anniversary is on Tuesday and that just happens to be the day when I am on the road for WW for 14 hours and DH is on the road teaching for the same 14 hours.  However, do not despair.  On Thursday we are going to Gainesville to see The Manhattan Transfer, one of our favorite singing groups.  We have seen them twice before and have really enjoyed the show they put on.  And on the drive down and back we plan some antiquing, just to keep our hands in.  If possible I will also make a stop in Lake City where there is a really nice quilt shop (the name of which I can’t remember right now).  What we have learned is that it doesn’t really matter when you celebrate the important occasions, just that you celebrate them.  And a long marriage is really something to celebrate.

 

And, yes, this is still on my Design Wall.

But finally, this top is done.  All the cats have faces and the center has borders. 

 

Next came the backing plan.  I had bought 6 1/2 yards of backing fabric (end of bolt) and my quilt calculator app told me I needed 8 7/8 yards.  My first plan was to use the extra strip blocks to make a center panel.  However, after some figuring and figuring, I decided I could get a full backing out of the one fabric if I did some fancy cutting.  Then it was cut and piece for most of Sunday afternoon.  I even pressed the seams open so it would lie flatter (a first for me).

 

Here is the backing as seen from under the frame.  There I was lying on the floor, just to get this cool shot.  And there you can see my Red Snappers holding the backing onto the leader.  (I LOVE my Red Snappers)

 

 

After rolling the backing back and forth a couple of times to be sure it was straight and even, I put the batting over everything to give it some time to “rest” some of the fold lines out.  Later this afternoon I hope to begin some quilting on this but first I will need to figure out what thread to use and what I am going to quilt on it.  I will not be doing a panto as I don’t want to quilt over the cats.

 

Because today is a holiday I do not have my Monday WW meeting so I have an extra quilting day.  I will quilt and piece Monday and Wednesday, work on Tuesday (see above) and then hit the road on Thursday.  Sounds like a fun and busy week, doesn’t it?