Could it be, could it be?

Could it be, could it be? could it be, could it be? could it possibly be Meg's Flower Garden?  Yes, yes, yes! (and not, in the words of the 'Joseph' song, Benjamin after all).

Shocking after all this time, but at last the lovely flower tree is back under the needle getting some more quilting.  Have I solved the 'bagginess' issues?  Weeeellllllll........no, not really.  I've tried gathering small circles and quilting around them, I've tried using a pipe frame, I've tried using an embroidery hoop, I've tried every method suggested that didn't include me having to actually cut fabric.  What has been my final resolution?  After lots of trials and quite a lot of unpicking of those trials, the final answer has been to STOP TRYING TO MAKE SOMETHING HARDER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE and to give up the idea, held for some months, that I was going to produce beautiful quilting in this area between the tree and the flower border.  I've got for a much more pragmatic approach, and a 'macro stipple' rather than anything fancy.  As I went a long I just pulled fabric out of the way and tried to distribute it evenly over the surface area that I had, and, most importantly, not quilt in too many pleats.

What I've ended up with is a mountainous rather than flat surface, but this pales into insignificance when you realise that for the first time in about six months significant progress has been made!  No, the result won't be a perfect 'show quality' quilt (I've never produced one of those, perhaps something to aim for in later life) but I am working towards something that will hang on the wall, rather than sit in the UFO pile, which is a very good thing.

Other good things?  Well, I've finally been well enough to make it into school to help out with 'creative Friday' for the first time in a month, which means I've finally got to take a photo of the wall hanging I titivated (with the help of lots of children, of course).  It was nice to see it hanging up so that I could take photo of the whole thing, as I hadn't got anywhere large enough at home to spread it out flat - it's about 6' x 10' I should  think.

On a smaller scale I received a little piece of A3 loveliness through the post - an Angelika Monks original, made for the BQL skinny swap.  As you can just see from the photo, this hangs just to my left as I sit at my PC - and is right opposite the craft room door, so I see it every time I go up or down stairs too.  I am very pleased with it.