I have been spending my lounging time working on the "Circles" piece. It's coming along nicely:
A few more days and I'll have all the white circles filled with hand-dyed, muted colors. Then borders, batting and backing, and I can attach the bits of antique lace and add quilting . We found a couple of harmonizing prints today at Creative Threads, the fine quilt shop in nearby Sealy, so those are in the dryer now.
I have appreciated having a handwork project, as my problematic left hip has been giving me fits lately. Consultation with the orthopedic surgeon confirmed my expectations that a hip replacement is in my near future. Looking at the calendar of things we're committed for, July seems like the best month. In the meantime, I have purchased a cane, kept a careful eye on my med schedule, and tried not to overdo. It's difficult when you're used to being active and able to lift a bag of cat litter without trouble.
Here's a detail shot of part of the piece, so you can see the stitching.
I'm debating whether to put an extra piece of batting under each circle so it stands up from the surface. Maybe I should do a trial run on some scraps. Also need to design the quilting to flatten the spaces between circles.
Hmmm.
The engineeering is the most challeging part of the process, mainly because I don't often plan ahead for it.. A friend who is an engineer defined the discipline as "planning for production." So it's clear where I fall short.
Artists who put everything up on a design wall, following a detailed schematic--well, I admire their work, but the process is a mystery to me. How can you know in advance what you're making??? Where's the fun in that?