Connie had this version of Cobblestone sewed three days ago – and I can’t even get it posted! Ha! Remember her tutorial on picking fabric starting with a charm pack? Here’s the quilt – with Dot, who loves to sleep on Connie’s sewing chair. Such a nice traditional little table topper, don’t you think? I’m working on more orders tonite while I watch the basketball game. Connie’s Cobblestones is still available for $3 sent to Country Threads, 2345 Palm Ave. Garner, IA 50438.

Can you believe it? (I’ll bet I can mow lawn faster than her!)

I need to clarify the ad situation – I’m just not sure why some of you are seeing ads and others are not.

Tomorrow our good friend Rose and her husband Bill are stopping for a visit – I can’t wait to catch up with her. I want to get my porch decorated for Fourth of July before she gets here . They’re staying the night in Garner and requested the Country Threads room at the Garner Inn. Did you know there was such a room?????

Connie used a tutorial from Cluck Cluck Sew called Jelly Strip Stash Buster. Don’t you love it?

I see another quilt in my future!

I washed the doilies in Dawn – if it’s gentle enough to wash a small bird or animal after an oil spill, I think it’s OK to wash the doilies in, too. And they came out looking great!

As I’ve been quilting, I’ve thought of several more tips.

1.  I like to use the same thread in both the bobbin and the needle.  I think I have fewer problems when they’re the same brand.

2.  I never try to stitch in the ditch.  My hand is just not that steady so I always stitch on either side of the horizontal seam.

3.  I think I’m a pretty accurate quilter but if blocks and seams aren’t exactly the same size, it will be very apparent when trying to quilt.  You just can’t pull the top tight enough in one spot without stretching it in another so the tension in the finished quilt may vary.  With so many seams as in this quilt top, it’s easy to pull the top out of shape.

4.  The minute I hold a corner of the project in one hand, it becomes a quilt to me.  I can feel the texture of the 3 layers stitched together and it’s no longer a quilt top, batting and backing.  It is now a QUILT!

As I remove all the pins, it bends and folds on itself creating that wonderful feel that all quilters recognize.

And now this quilt moves to the cutting table for trimming and binding.

If this tutorial is something you think you want to refer to in the future, please mark it so I don’t have to do this – again.  I think this is the third time I’ve posted these steps.

Good Luck with your straight line quilting.  I will bind it and show it to you again.