Phoebe and Me - One quilt quilted

I want to keep a record of this quilt.  It is the very first quilt top quilted with Phoebe.  The Quilt top was made in the mid to late 1980s.  The fabrics were purchased from the Massachusetts Mills in Lowell, MA just before it closed down production in the late 1980s.  I paid $3 for a brown paper grocery bag of fabric...this is just a small portion of the fabric in the bag.  I made baby quilts, and bed quilts from those fabrics 80s fabrics; what a deal!  I have one more quilt top from them to be quilted.  I'm looking forward to working on that one as well.

So this is a practice quilt.

 For me, this was an adventure in creativity into a new style of quilting.  It was decided step by step on the quilting frame.

My quilting isn't perfect, but I'm pleased.

This is the back of the quilt.  It shows up well.  Because the backing is a solid piece of fabric, it is a whole cloth quilt on the back and a Dresden Plate on the front...two quilts in one;  I love both sides.

I am on a learning curve with Phoebe.  This is a new thought process.  My concentration is on moving the machine.  Quilting on my Husqvarna sewing machine is like drawing with the pencil held in a holder while I move the paper to draw.  This is more like normal drawing except I'm trying to maneuver a big machine rather than a little pencil.  As a result, there are bloopers,  but I'm okay with that.  Many professional quilters say once it is done it will still look great.  I think I agree.

I've finished one more quilt since this and I'm working on my third one now.  As I was working on that third quilt, I realized that I was not thinking about moving Phoebe over the surface, but was now thinking about process. I was watching my starts and ending, my meeting points on feathers and my speed rather than just control of the machine.  I'm making progress, growing and I love it.  It is one of the most creative things I have ever done and I'm excited!

Enjoying my blessings,

Dianne