Personal Victory

Applique. I love it. If I can do it by hand. Machine applique? Involving the "f" word (fusible)? Forgetaboutit! Ain't gonna happen.

Well, them's fightin' words, and my friend Sharon took me up on it.

You see, she writes patterns, and she asked me to test sew a few of them. "Sure, no problem!" until I realized they involved fusing. Had I purchased the patterns, I would have done them by hand. But to test sew? I had to follow the directions, and her directions include fusing.

The test sew took place last summer. I finished the fusing, but did not do the machine satin stitch to hold the pieces in place. I just couldn't face it.

Fast forward to January quilting goals. "#3 Do the machine satin stitch on SIL Sharon's quilt."

SIL Sharon is not Sharon the pattern designer. Yes, sometimes it does get confusing.

Anyway, I was supposed to be doing computer work today, but errands got in the way. By the time 3pm rolled around, all I wanted to do was sew. I have a particular project in mind. However, I'd put January Goal #3 on top of my machine, to prevent me from starting something else. groan.

I sat down, loaded the thread, and started stitching.

Believe it or not - I don't! - I'm done!! Tomorrow, I can baste, quilt, and bind this quilt, if I have the time. The mental roadblock, the satin stitch stumbling block, has been removed. I can't believe it!! Yay!! Happy dance!!

Not only is the satin stitch finished, it doesn't look half bad. And it didn't kill me.

Perhaps I was being a tad melodramatic.

Then again, I have yet another piece waiting in the wings for satin stitching, and I am NOT planning to work on it any time soon...