She's got skills

Speaking of learning new skills, I've attempted my first ever machine quilting on my latest project. I normally hand-tie my quilts, but wanted to try out the more traditional finishing style. I just prefer more casual looking blankets, so the straight-line quilting never really appealed to me. Then I found this stippling tutorial (PDF) from Camille over at Simplify and I was completely inspired. I love the whimsical patterns over such an old fashioned art form. Little did I know how difficult this would be! I literally tensed up from head to toe and broke out in a sweat during every sewing session but I finished it this evening and am super pleased with the end result. It just makes me all the more envious of Camille's seemingly effortless lines and nearly perfect balance. Thank goodness I tried it on a smaller project!