Inching Forward in the Queue

I seem to have quite a few projects all at the same stage—needing backing, basting, quilting and binding.  It's not really surprising that I work this way, doing multiple things at a time or alternately, then arriving at a similar point with all of them, yet nothing entirely finished.  

I've fallen in love with this thread, Mettler Metrosene, for piecing.

This is a spool from my mom's thread stash.  Must buy more!

One could look at it from the perspective, I suppose, of something along the lines of chain-piecing.  Chain-finishing?  Whether it's making good use of my time by nudging everything toward the same end, or frittering my energy away, I don't know.  It's how I roll.

I bought some fabric for the backing of the Sudoku quilt.  All prewashed now and waiting for me.

The last PhD project to be completed is this New Wave quilt that I pieced last year.  As in, a whole year ago (where does the time go?).  I lacked the skills to free-motion quilt it decently then, but thanks to a bit of learning and practicing, I'm there now.  So I got that goin' for me, which is nice.*

I had picked up a vintage muslin sheet at a thrift store several months ago, still in its original package, which looked to be about as old as I am.  I'm using that for the backing.  It wasn't quite wide enough though (it was a twin fitted sheet), so I'm having to piece it.  Like the quilt top, I'm using both vintage and contemporary fabric for the strip I'm adding in, and I like how it's coming together. 

The muslin sheet has been great to work with—soft, yet it presses and sews like a dream, as if there were a bit of starch to it, even after prewashing.  I hope it quilts just as smoothly.  I won't hesitate to snap up more of these if I see them in the thrifts.

Also in the to-be-quilted queue are the black and white quilt and the H2H quilt.

Ideally, I would crank these out systematically, one right after another.  I am hopeful that will happen, but...

The other thing that's clamoring for my attention now is my neglected flower beds and other containers that are usually planted by now. We've had a long, cool spring but it looks like things are finally turning around this week.  So, do I sew in my basement or work outside?  Hm, let's see...

*Bill Murray as Carl Spackler in Caddyshack.