Tens of spots

Takumi and Bianca rolled in last night for a final get together time.



LAST summer at the Long Beach Quilt Festival Bianca suddenly came running back to me and pulled me to a booth.



"Look at that quilt! I want to make that!!! I LOVE the giraffes! Do you think I would be able to do it?"



Hmmm... That is a majorly difficult piece of work. I had looked at some of the kits in the booth and had determined that though they were wonderful, and doable, did I really want to devote all that time for a wall hanging? I did not... I have bed quilts and scrap quilts I want to make. Bianca? Well, Bianca is a novice quilter... or better put, a non-quilter but someone who likes art and design and crafts. And that giraffe quilt! Oh my! Tens of little spots! But... who am I to tell her she probably won't be able to do it!?



"Go for it! I'll help you!"



Yeah, right... I'll be in Japan.



With the purchase of the kit and included fabrics Bianca went home happy and LAST summer I helped her gather the other needed materials. Batting, Fusible webbing. With some last minute instructions I went back to Japan fully expecting that THIS year Bianca would hand me all of the kit and ask me to make it for her. (Or worse yet, to have lost all the little pieces during the year.) What college student has time to do intricate crafting?



BUT!



This year Bianca cheerfully came visiting with kit in hand, all intact!



"I got as far as tracing all the pieces and spots onto the webbing. (Tens of spots!!) And they are all numbered and separated. I got a little confused after that so I need some more advice."



Wow! She'd really read those instructions and followed through. Bianca had numbered envelopes ready for all the different sections! I helped her iron and cut out pieces and together we spent a couple nights building the giraffes. (Tens of spots!!!)



Last night Bianca came with her completed giraffe flimsy! Wouldn't it be nice if she could just hang it up on the wall as is. But no. Now this thing has to be freehand quilted. Last night we sandwiched and basted the quilt. Bianca has been watching a Beginning Machine Quilting DVD that Liz sent. I've confirmed that her sewing machine has a free-motion foot and that the feed dogs can be lowered. Bianca seems confident that she is going to be able to quilt her giraffe flimsy. (Tens of spots!!!!) Not a job for the faint.





NEXT year I hope to show you Bianca's finished giraffe quilt.



Go for it, Bianca!