Slow start

I have been struggling a bit with the quilting on my Storm at Sea, but finally think I have things figured out.  When I load a quilt, I need a plan.  That is just how I work.  I read other bloggers who just start quilting, and get inspired and figure things out as they go, and I just can't imagine.  I would love to do that.  But what happens when your plan doesn't work, or you change your mind?

I started with SID work, so no decisions there.  Then I started working on the brown diamond shapes.  I had this design figured out early on, so was looking forward to stitching it.

Well, I like it, but not really.  Or not really for this quilt, or not enough to do so very many of them like this.  But, I really didn't want to pick out the ones I had already done.  So, on to plan B, which I didn't have, but was working out on the fly.  The diamonds I had already stitched were all along one outside edge.  So, I could leave those as they are, and change the other diamonds.  As long as I remember to stitch all the outside diamonds alike, I think it will all work together well.  Here is my new diamond design.

I felt I needed to keep it similar, with the curved lines and general feel, but I like this one better.  I am thinking of the pearls, or pebbles, as bubbles.  Like under the sea, bubbles, and I am putting more bubbles in other areas of the quilt, so I think I am happy now.  After several days of trying to get started, I now feel like I have actually started, if you know what I mean.   Hopefully, things will go smoothly from now on.

And, again with the running.  Each week is a new challenge, but since there are times I repeat a week, I am now referring to the different challenges as levels.  Anyway, I moved up to level three.  I think I will stay here a week longer.  All in all it is going well, and I think I am improving.  Thanks to all of your encoutagement, it really helps.

Esther