I'm around.   working on the Christmas quilt.  I've done all the SID (black on black) and outlining of the applique & embroidery (clear thread).  I had to take a few places out that I wasn't happy with, but a spritz of water and some rubbing with my nail took care of the holes.  So all is good.  I am planning on making a practice sandwich tonight to try out some ideas in the sashing and for the fills.  I discovered while doing the SID that the red sashing does not do well when you remove stitching so I want to make sure I now what I want before I start on that part.

bragging on my SID.  it is black on black but the contrast between the red & black was helpful

Pretty happy with the leaves, I stitched the veins and around the leaves, and long the spines of the embroidery.  I like how they puffed up a bit, especially the berries.  I didn't worry as much about bobbles on the leaves as I did the frames, so you can see a few places that aren't perfect.  Some of the worse ones I have redone, but I think I'm satisfied now.

I didn't do much on the nutcracker, just outlined a bit to hold him in place and make sections puff up.  Looking at this picture I see one little stitch on the feather that isn't where I'd like.  I might go back, not sure.  I keep telling myself it's my quilt, I can do what I want.  I can bury the tails or not (and I've done both).  I can redo or leave mistakes.  And it depends on my mood.  And how tired I am - haha.  I think I'm going to make myself a wall hanging to remind me - My Quilt, My WAY.  I only have to make myself happy, and if it doesn't make me happy I can redo it.

Oh, my goodness, Dee! Your quilting is beyond amazing!  Your stitching is phenomenal, and if there is just one stitch out of place, for sure no one could possibly see it. You should be very proud of this beauty!  Not long ago I did some black on black quilting and thought I would go blind trying to see.  Does it make you tired trying to be so precise?  Are you close to being finished with it?

Speaking of amazing, the collection of scraps that you sent for me to play with as I work on the smallish  "Scrap Improv" pieces is downright dazzling.  Oodles and oodles.  Dozens and dozens. Gazillions.

You must have the biggest scrappy collection of fabrics in the state of Illinois. Thank you again.

I'm getting the feeling that you are really enjoying the work you are doing on this beautiful Christmas masterpiece.

Maybe you will be sad when it is finished.

Dee, your work is breathtaking.  Wow!

Do. You have this much patience with everything you do or just your quilting?

The quilt top was gorgeous with your hand embellishments can not imagine how many notches up the quilting is going to improve upon it.

Jo

it does make my eyes tired.  and if they are tired, best to stop for the night.  all of this so far has been ruler work.  I still have a lot of quilting to do.  and decisions to make.  I need to do some sort of background fill around the applique - possibly something different in each - maybe leaves in the leave boxes, circles in the ornaments, etc.  I want to put something on the red sashing frames - either a line of pearls down the center inside two lines or maybe ribbon candy (harder for me to do evenly).  and then some wide crosshatching in between the red frames.  and THEN I have to do something in the very wide outside border.  It probably SHOULD be a windy feather - I could do it but it would definitely be outside my "comfort zone".  It might end up being leaves tho, as I'm more confident about doing those.  Lots of quilting to do before then.  

sad?  hmm, in a way.  there are lots of hours in this thing, definitely.  But I put so much effort in the applique, I don't want to get lazy here at the end.  

I was just reflecting back on the feeling I had when I finished my needlepoint rug decades ago after nine months of constant stitching.

Maybe sad is not the right word. It was an empty feeling, though.

Well you hit on my concern.  I'm very happy with my hand work.  But my quilting is still in the "learning phase".  I really really don't want to ruin it with sloppy quilting.  So I am going very slow and carefully.  This project is a "forever" project, so the intent was to go slow and careful - no deadline.

Regarding patience - actually NO.  Typically I am a Nike person - "just do it".  I'm the person wanting the teacher or speaker to hurry up and get to the point.  "Let's go, let's go, walk faster, hurry up".  But I am also pretty precise (an accountant), so I do gravitate more towards that type of crafting.  I would not do the free-form, random stuff very well.  Even looking at Gees Bend type quilts makes me uncomfortable.  I like flat, even, square quilts with seams pressed consistent directions etc etc.  Quilting charity quilts is helping me get over that particular fixation-haha!  

I do two types of quilts.  Fast fun easy I spy quilts and fiddly, slow, precise forever projects.