Indigo Mini Top Done

The forecast was for rain today, and the plan was to sew. Well dang if it didn't end up being the most beautiful sunny morning, which left me with no excuse to (continue to) put off my yard work.
So out I went, with the intention of pulling some weeds and planting a round of flower seeds then calling it a day, but soon found myself up to my elbows with the hedge trimmer, whacking back a huge geranium that had gotten so out of hand it was smothering everything in its path, including the path.
This became a two hour project. I was nearly done when all of a sudden I heard this zzzzzztttt!!  and saw sparks flying in front of me. In my zeal I had accidentally severed the extension cord with the trimmer.

(Note to self: be more careful when using the hedge trimmer. Husband will not be pleased.) 

Can extension cords be mended? I guess we'll find out!

Meanwhile, I've been working bit by bit on my little Indigo Mini. These tiny 9-patches, which finish at an inch and a half, were a lot more challenging than I anticipated. The indigo fabric is sort of a loose weave, and ravels easily when you try to manipulate it. And when the finished patch is only half an inch, imperfection really shows. Its a good thing I'm not a perfectionist.

Remember the rolls of vintage shirtings I got when I found the indigo? Some of the pieces ended up being a pretty good size, and not too wonky. Kind of weird texture, though. Stiff-ish? I ended up putting them through the washer and dryer (gasp! I know...) but that did soften them up a bit. Not to mention clean them up, as they were pretty filthy. I think they're fine, and love them so much I'll go ahead and use them with similar old fabrics. I auditioned several for the background of this quilt, and this one looked the best with the tiny 9-patches.

The shirting is also a loose weave, and quite thin. You can see the color of the basket right through it.

Not so bad on top of the batting, although still looks a bit yellow-ish, but that's mostly the lighting. You can see a little peek of the backing fabric, also a vintage shirting.

I made sure and trimmed the blue seam allowances so they won't show through. That would have bugged the heck out of me. I basted it last night, and started playing around with some simple hand quilting. 

I felt a tiny twinge in my middle back while I was working in the yard this morning, so I took a couple Advils when I came in. You know how those tiny twinges can turn into a big ache if you're not careful, right? I need to be in good enough shape to baste my Flying Geese top this afternoon, and hopefully get started quilting on it tonight.

I hope you all are having a good weekend, and have some time to sew!

love,
Sandy