Effort well worth the end result.

The Wannabee Quilters get together at Watana's Beehive in Vernon, AL on the second Thursday of the month. 

This month the project is making a tote bag.  We were supposed to pick up some flex foam as part of the supplies.  But Hobby Lobby didn't have any and I heard Walmart didn't either (I didn't bother to check.)

I decided to make my own "foam core." I needed to get rearranged with the "George" after being away for nine days.

I took a quilted piece I had made as practice quilting in the domestic machine, added another layer of batting and covered with a top and bottom fabric.

Pretty much I quilted over a quilt.

My first goal was to practice bigger movements to produce bigger quilting motifs.  Some of my stitching got a bit chunky and ungraceful. I have to slow down.

The second goal was to make at thick core for the tote bag project.  All these layers produced a perfect substitute for the "foam core!"

And during class I proceeded to cover my quilting practice.  When the bag is finished, no one will ever know there's practice quilting inside.

"Quilt as you go" method using 2.5" strips and court house log cabin pattern.

I was on a roll.

 My piece is 32" x 16".

Here's what the backside looks like.

The tote bag will have a lining when finished. No one will ever know that there's "practice quilting" inside 😊.

It was a fun time with my quilty friends

〜〜

After dinner tonight I continued working on Sweetling's quilt.  I thought I'd get some of the "burying threads" out of the way before I continue with the quilting.
One of my friends has asked what I meant about "burying threads."  I'll try to explain...

(Edit for a disclaimer: there are several methods for burying threads.  I don't believe one way is better than another. This is the method I happen to be using right now. )

There is a top thread and a bobbin thread.  When I move onto the next section, I take a single stitch out of the way to hold the threads until I'm ready to bury them.  That keeps the loose threads from getting tangled in my machine or getting matted in the stitching as I work.

When I'm ready, I clip the thread, both top and bobbin threads, right were the single stitch is. That gives me enough length to work with.
I like working from the back of the quilt, so I'll pull the top thread to the back.

Then I tie the threads together with a square knot. (My friend C.C. uses her needle and ties with an overhand knot close to the fabric.  She also works from the front of the quilt. It works the same.)

Then I thread the ends onto a needle. Insert the needle into the backing fabric right where the threads are coming out.  Careful not to pierce the front fabric, I'll push the needle in the batting layer only.  Usually, I travel along the seam line, but my picture is showing the opposite direction this time. (To avoid thread bleed through - that means where the color of the thread will show through the fabric - it's best to travel along the seam where it will be less noticable.)

After I've made sure that the needle has only traveled through the batting layer, I'll pull the needle through.  Giving a firm tug until the knot disappears into the batting layer.

Then carefully clip close to fabric.

(Btw, it's difficult taking pictures with one hand 😋.)

Then repeat with several hundred more threads.

There was a time when I thought, "no way. That's too much work. It's too tedious. It takes too much time."

A comment from Judy Stokes changed my mind when I asked her once, incredulously, "you bury ALL your threads?!!?"  

She answered something to the effect that "yes, it takes time, but I'm pleased with the end result.  It's a cleaner finish, you don't see clipped ends and hopefully there won't be threads to pick at."

In a way, it was the "permission" I needed to take the time.  I no longer think of burying threads as tedious.  It's an "effort well worth the end result!!"