
Cathy's wedding quilt which I've called 'Gypsies in the Square', because the fabric is Gypsy Rose by Figtree Quilts and the nine patch is framed in a square. Every time I think of the name of this fabric it reminds me of growing up in the UK and the Gypsies that used to come around selling clothes pegs and my Nana telling me not to talk to them (which I always ignored of course!), so the quilt sort of named itself..
I don't usually wash my quilts when they're finished and I wasn't going to wash this one, especially as the weather isn't very 'quilt washing' friendly at the moment! That was until I spotted the drops of blood that I'd missed when I stabbed my finger the other day!! Oh and yes, it is hanging sideways on the line, I couldn't hang it the right way as it would have dragged on the ground. I don't like using the dryer (far too expensive) unless I really have no choice, so as you can tell, the wind is really blowing today. Don't let those bits of blue sky up there fool you though! Can you see the clouds behind the top right of the quilt, that's our cold front heading in!! Forecast for tomorrow, snow down to 700mts (that's us) and a cold arctic blast for Victoria!!

So here it is hanging on my drying rack above the kitchen wood stove, looks nice there doesn't it? I might just have to leave it for a while..!!

Here's the label I made and can you see, proof of an early finish!! I made the label early on in the week and put the finish date as August as I really thought that it would be next week before I finished! Some good came out of the dreadful cold that I had at least....

I love this next shot, it reminds me of a stained glass window, deep rich saturated colours! It's nothing like those colours really is it??

So, that's it then!! Do you feel like that when you've finished something you've been working on for a while? Sort of empty? I've got other things I'm itching to do but I know I won't start today, I'll sort of mope around and keep admiring the quilt, a pat here, refold there. Move it around a bit, sit it on the coffee table then the chair, all the time thinking how much I love it. I didn't a week ago, I was totally over it, sore fingers, stiff wrists and then getting this cold! But as soon as I started stitching the binding on last night it was all 'Oh I love this quilt, I wish I was keeping it etc, etc...' Perverse woman that I am!!!! :o)
I guess that spending all that time hand quilting makes me a little possessive, but I do love the look of hand quilting....!!!
Do you think I'll ever come to love machine quilting the same?
Maybe it's time to start practising with my frame now.......???