Eye See You

Working from home is sometimes a challenge because I have such lousy internet. After several conversations with my provider, one of my IT-savvy bosses and representatives from my employer's IT department, I decided to trade in my leased modem for a more recent model. The old one was at least six years old. My provider had run tests on my equipment via a phone app and said my equipment was operating within parameters. But everyone else said it was time for a new modem.

A new modem in this time of limited in-person contact can mean days without internet. Specifically, three days. Today's finish is the result of upgrading my modem and my bandwidth (for three dollars less per month than what I've been paying for the last five years!!!). A very nice trade-off, in my opinion!


I've been wanting to get some good practice on the longarm, and this baby provided exactly that. There are plenty of booboos, and I had trouble with thread tension. But another project or two with this stitch intensity, and perhaps my skills will improve.






I used inherited fabric for the backing, then cut off two more 6-inch strips from the solid to baste onto the quilt sandwich and make it big enough for my longarm to hold and maneuver. Finished dimensions 21x34. The longarm will hold 20 inches, but only about 16 inches are quilt-able. For previous quilts, I've finished the unquiltable edges with my domestic. By applying basted edges, I was able to do the entire 18x30 owl on the longarm. The edges took about 20 minutes to remove when I was done quilting, and I can use the edges again on the next quilt.

I used purple binding leftovers for the finishing touch, and I decided after washing that the eyes didn't have enough definition. I applied the two largest googly eyes in my stash. The wall hanging now watches over my bed. No one will ever see the rat's nests on the back. And I have transformed my five-year and three-month old Lavender Sunrise into a Midwinter Snowy Owl.


Linking up with Alycia Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

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