I finally got all my pieces in order and am ready to put this quilt together. I'm using bamboo batting and I don't have any complaints (because I've never gotten this far before so I have nothing to compare it with). I'm going to try some other battings though and I'm wondering about just using a layer of flannel for my boys quilts (which I plan on making soon) since they really don't need heavy blankets here. Has anyone out there tried using flannel instead of batting? I'm curious.
Anyway, here is my practice piece for stippling. I wanted to make sure I could see the white thread so I grabbed a couple of red fat quarters. It's very un-pretty but I was mostly checking the machine tension and stuff.

I decided to stand at my cutting table to work just so I could have room to maneuver. It worked out good but man, my legs are tired. The quilt back is pretty wacky since I made it too small and had to add to it (and make another run to Joann's for more Kona) but to be honest I really didn't care if the back was perfect. I know I'll love it no matter what.
I pinned the whole thing together with basting pins and then rolled it up, took a deep breath, and hit the pedal.

You know how men look in the mirror and say "Looking good!" even though they're balding and have a paunch? That's how I feel when I look at this. I know the stitches are goofy and wobbly, and inconsistent (with a few puckers) but I can't stop myself saying "Looking good!"

I'm already more than 1/3 way through now and hope to finish tomorrow. Now I need to start thinking about the binding. Bold or subtle? Red? Aqua? I can't wait to curl up under this quilt!
