Slow Sunday Stitching

The title of today's post is a bit of a misnomer in that I have done exactly zero slow stitching on this beautiful Sunday. However, in recent weeks I have been somewhat attentive to Lake Effect, and I thought I'd share an update.

The slow-me-down parts are nearly finished. Even though I feel I am becoming more accomplished with the back-basting method of applique, I find it hard to make myself work steadily at it. These four panels are mostly done, with the remaining work needing to wait to go on when the corners are joined. I am feeling pretty good about how they look, even with some very wonky berries.

I am now at the point where I am thinking it is time to attach these panels to the center portion. It appears I will need to attach more hexies to make it all fit.

I don't know if anyone will recall that I began making this (in 2017!) with a misconception of what a 3" hexie was. I had one measuring 3" from tip to tip and made all gazillion of mine with that template.

Many months later, I learned that, in fact, the 3" is the body of the hexie. Hmmm. That presented me with a problem.  I would need to improvise or start over. 

Undaunted, I knew my project could be salvaged, and it would result in "making it my own." I kinda' like that idea, so on we go.

I worked on this minimally while on our vacation. Too hard to applique in the car, and hotel lighting mostly didn't suit me. No worries. Way back in '17, I gave myself 10 years to finish this quilt. Five years in, and I feel as if I am mostly on course. 

I will link to Kathy's weekly slow stitching party. Many of those gals regularly check in to see how I am doing, and I like to do likewise with them. Hope you'll have a look, too. 

Kathy asks what we are doing today, and I have to laugh at how our day has been. 

We have a raccoon problem in our backyard. They eat the birdseed, damage the feeders, rip the hummingbird feeder off the branch, and now they've even pushed through the screen on our porch and sniff around. So we have been trapping them. They are easy to trap with the right kind of trap, but then we have to "dispose" of them. We can't bear to kill them so we "rehome" them. Just after midnight last night, we took one away, and first thing this morning, we took another. We take them far enough away so that we hope they don't return. People are always telling us that they are smart enough to return, especially if there are babies back home. 

I will report further developments.

Happy Quilting, Friends!