Diving In Head First

I took the plunge tonight and quilted my Hannukiah mini quilt! I am so proud of myself. Quilting specifically, and sewing in general, has been such a wonderful addition to my life. I am continuously challenging myself with new techniques and every time I try something for the first time I feel so empowered. I would never have guessed that handiwork, of all things, would be empowering.

A few observations on free motion quilting. First, it is hard on the body. You need to keep your speed consistent, both in terms of the speed of the stitching and the speed you are moving the fabric under the needle. I found that leg got restless and tight (similar to how you feel after driving long distances) and my shoulders were a tad sore although I think that's because I was so tense (I was trying to get it just right). I also wonder if my meandering pattern was too tight, meaning, perhaps I over-quilted and should have spaced things out a bit.

I really want to find time tomorrow to do the binding, but I'm having some difficulty deciding which fabric to use. Hopefully something will come to me as I sleep.