The next step

Quilting is at a minimum currently as my dining room is covered in construction dust and a free-standing bath is currently blocking the cabinet holding the machine.  So it's a good move that I decided to hand-quilt this baby.  I initially decided to hand-quilt because I'm still not comfortable quilting by machine.  I broke at least one needle and bent another the last time I attempted it and that was just a runner.

In preparation I ordered some supplies.  Cotton thread, quilting needles, a leather thimble and I was ready to roll.  I almost bought a hand-quilting frame, but I thought that might be a step too far.
My materials arrived and I realized I got the wrong needles. Oops.

I needed to get out of my house, anyway.  The sound and presence of builders was driving me to distraction.  I went to explore my local sewing shop.  Turns out it is run by a lovely mother and daughter team.  They had no needles to sell (a delivery was due at any minute) so they just gave me one and made me promise I would come back and buy a pack next week.

Turns out there is a patchwork club held on Wednesdays where local ladies come in and use the big tables and machines, etc. and have a chat.  The owner offered to teach me how to make my own binding and do the corners.  Very sweet.  The ladies in the back (presumably in the middle of that day's Patchwork Club) gave me a bit of a stink eye over their half moon bifocals, but I think I can win them over.  What's more charming to a retired Brit than a young sarcastic and pregnant American?

(Sidebar)
My confidence isn't without precedent.  Pete and I went on a cruise a few years ago and made best friends with a lovely 70-year-young couple.  Seriously.  Pete gave them his creamer on the plane and we were best buds for the next two weeks.  We still speak fondly of Ray and Shirley.  They are the benchmark for our golden years.
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I was a bit late for the Patchwork Club that day and of course didn't have my quilt with me at the time.  I headed home and got to work sandwiching and basting on my living room floor.  I don't recommend this course of action.  I also don't recommend hand-quilting without proper tension.  My vision of this finished is not holding up to its current state.  I'm trying to save it by re-basting after each row of hand-quilting in order to maintain some tension, but it may be a lost cause.  Or I may have to buy an embroidery hoop (as mine is trapped in the same cabinet as the machine) and move it every few stitches.  Hmmmm...

The other battle (as you can see from the photo above) is getting the lines straight.  As my triangles don't actually meet up, I'm going a bit off-grid with my quilting lines. Blindly pushing forward in the hope it all turns out OK in the end.

Fitting.

I guess this quilt is turning out to have some meaning in the making after all.