Elephant Under My Needle

Growing up in India, we learned very little about world happenings.  Even after the advent of the internet, we were all about local events, local/national news and Bollywood celebrity gossip.

And now, I can hardly believe that I am the same person.

with Melanie

I heaved a massive sigh of relief following the news about the French elections' outcome.  I danced with joy after I heard the news about the release of the Chibook girls by Bokko Haram. I fell in love again with Justin Trudeau as he stood up to the American government's unreasonable demands.

Melanie taking pictures at the Ethiopian Restaurant

And earlier this month, I ate Ethiopian food with Melanie - a quilter blogger from Germany!!!

My Sew Together Bag - Gift from Melanie

Look what she brought for me - a Sew Together Bag in yummy rainbow colors.  I love it!!! There are little surprises inside like the bright zippers, a bug, and a fabric that Melanie herself designed.

Bright Zippers, Fun Fabric

The fabric is hilarious. It has literal English translations of German sayings.

and a bug!!!

Check Melanie's blog to read about the process.

May was a rollercoaster month for me with friends, travels and looming deadlines.  That is why I am particularly thrilled with my OMG finish.

Mayflower Finished!!!

This quilt is for my cousin brother and his wife.  They live in India not far from my Mom and are there for her, whenever she needs them.  They are quietly supportive and completely dependable. 

I make it a point to visit them whenever I go back to India. 

Moda Paradiso - the inspiration

Cutting fabric

I am unlikely to travel to India any time soon. Therefore this quilt will travel with my sister who visits India in June. The deadline on completion for this quilt is/was Memorial Day.  Since I just returned from my trip after successfully delivering the finished quilt to my sister, I can heave a big sigh of relief and share the story, the process and the pictures.

Finished Flimsy

This quilt uses a modified rail fence block showcasing Moda Paradiso fabrics combined with a dark blue yardage. Each block is 10" and the finished quilt is 80" by 100". 

On my bed

At this time, let’s take a side trip 

One morning, a few years ago, I was traveling to Washington DC in the Metro.  I was sitting next to a woman who was knitting a scarf. Naturally, we engaged in a conversation. She told me that wherever there is a mistake, it results in a knot like appearance on the knitted surface.  She showed me a couple. But here is where it becomes fun – she said that each knot shows that the recipient is loved. So the grandkids receiving the scarves LOOK for those knots and whoever has the most knots wins because he/she is the most loved.

Can you spot the two mistakes?

So when I discovered the two mistakes in this quilt, I chose to leave them there – one showing my love for my cousin brother and one for his wife.

Wide Backing

I chose a wide backing from ConnectingThreads.  The batting is White & Natural.

Quilted the Beast

The quilting is ...well, quilting a queen size quilt is a pain.

Quilting Detail

The plan was to quilt two straight lines an inch apart and then quilt a gentle curve between them.

At some point, the flimsy developed a mind of her own - she moved and writhed and was determined to escape from under the presser foot as I struggled to keep the elephant under control.

Ooh the play of light and shade

I could still quilt it but there was severe distortion, several tucks and infinite frustration. I left the room to check emails and then drifted off to Facebook before landing on Pinterest. Time passed.

I heard a knock. Paul was at the door.

Paul: What happened babe?

Me: What do you mean?

Paul: You left your sewing machine on?

Me: Well, I got distracted and then I got sidetracked before I took off at a tangent.

Are we there yet?

Knots to Bury

By now Paul is rolling on the floor laughing

Me: But thanks for checking. 

Paul: Don't you have a deadline.

Me: I hate this beast of a quilt.

Paul: But you must finish it.

Me: Hate it

Paul: Finish it

Me: Hate

Paul: Finish

Me: HATE

Paul: Finish it and put it away.

Me: OK.

Mayflower - Photoshoot

This is my May OMG FINISHED!!!  Time to reward myself with some fabric :-) 

Since Connecting Threads is having a Memorial Day sale, I just might get something from there.

Of course Craftsy is having a sale too. Some classes are $10.

This one caught my eye. I guess Indian food is becoming more mainstream.

Hope you had a relaxing long weekend.
As usual, I'd love to hear from you about your distractions, side trips and finishes!