Quilting the Second Compass - C's

Well quilting of the second compass has been completed.      For some reason I found myself resisting getting started and after a week of wondering why and not getting an answer, I decided to Nike it and got set up.   As always I get everything ready and bring my laptop in so I can refresh myself with Leah's video of the pattern I'm trying out.

 The brown cutie at the bottom of the photo is Leia so I have two Leia's/Leah's helping me get started.

I used a slight variation of Leah's Wiggly Tentacles as I thought this would suit the shape of the compass points and it worked OK, although I should have put the lines closer together.

 Not perfect but only getting started as this point.

As before I stippled the larger compass points as they have the writing on them, but I don't think this is the right idea.   What I hadn't taken into account is that the compasses provide 5 layers through the point, the fabric of the compasses, the foundation backing, the top of the quilt, the batting and then the flannel backing (which is heavy in itself).   So I had some problems with stitches skipping as I felt the needle almost hesitating to get through the layers, if that makes sense.   I ran out of the red variegated thread before I finished so will have to go back later when I get more to finish it off.

I really enjoyed the pebbling and felt a huge improvement on just my second try.   It needs to get much better, but I have 2 more smaller compasses to go and the final large one so I think it will get better and better.   I did have a bit of a worrying moment when I couldn't control the needle and my smooth circles were suddenly jagging in and out and couldn't figure what was going on other then my hands must be having spasms.   So I got up and made a cup of tea, studying my hands all the time although they performed that task without a problem.   Sat back at the machine sighing and just happened to look up at the display and realised I had somehow hit the button for a decorative flower stitch!    Put it back to straight line stitching mode shaking my head ruefully at myself and vowing to go back and unpick those first stitches at the end of the quilting process (I don't want any going back on myself as that will set myself up negatively) but then had to search hard at the end of quilting the rest of the rumbas to find those stitch and thought, yeah no worries.   If I can still find them at the end of the quilting process I can unpick them then, but I bet I don't.

 The "flower" pebbles are along the bottom of the rumba and go slightly up the right hand side.

Mental Note to Self:   Stop putting finger of the lens of the camera!

So moral of that story is you don't have to fix every mistake immediately, you don't have to worry about every wobbly stitch and you certainly don't have to let it put you off moving forwards.   The more forwards you move, the more confident you get and the more forgiving you can be about those early mistakes and actually enjoy seeing them as proof of the learning process and your accomplishments.    None of us remember learning how to walk but we walk perfectly now and if we were somehow to see our baby selves attempting to walk, falling down, getting up again and preserving, we wouldn't be negative or scolding of our early attempts.   We'd just be proud of how well we tried.    So we should be kinder to ourselves as quilters.

I'm thinking of trying Leah's Deco Leaves for the smaller points on the next Compass but would love to hear other ideas and suggestions.

Thanks Leah and UFO Sunday for keeping me on track.