Easy Street

Just this morning, as the sweet cool air poured into beautiful downtown Gilmanton Ironworks, New Hampshire from Hudson Bay, Canada, I put the last stitches into the hand hemming of the binding on my version of Bonnie K. Hunter's, "Easy Street" quilt.

I did lay it out on the driveway and measured it once and for all! When I had measured it before the longarm quilting that I did on it, it had been 96" x 99". That's pretty rectangular for what's supposed to be a SQUARE quilt, eh?

I didn't try to take photos of it lying down in the strong sunlight as it would've been all overexposed. But the flat measurements with my big Stanley steel tape measure were 95" (through the middle, side to side) and 97" (through the middle, top to bottom). So I'm gonna call it a square of 96"   x 96".

Even as big and very heavy as it was, strong breezes were lifting it up and back as I was trying to photograph it. You can see a big rumple in the lower half in the above picture.

Here it is very hard to see the quilting that I did on Ellen Peter's rented longarm, but it is turkey red thread and Baptist Fans.

I want to say a big, "THANK YOU!" to both Ellen Peters, for helping me get it quilted, and to Bonnie K. Hunter for such a fabulous free mystery pattern!
It was quilted on such a very hot day in Ellen's studio that I nearly fainted from the heat. Ellen sat me down and did a full pass to give me a much-needed breather. Thanks, Ellen!
I had only just barely finished piecing the top to bring to Bonnie's Manchester, New Hampshire workshop to show it to her during the brief show and tell session. That was way back in April, LOL! Now it is September. So Bonnie had seen the top then and said she loved it. Thanks, Bonnie!

This shot of the wide backing with the little red and black straw flowers shows the quilting a bit better. If you click on any picture, it will let you zoom in for a better view.

My bedroom has poor lighting but I did try it on the bed and I loved it immediately! There is so much to look at, it fascinates me.
Earlier in the day, Felix called to me in a whisper to come quickly to the open front door. This was taken through the screen so it looks greyed.

Munching new apple drops from the Liberty Apple tree.

I tip-toed out the side door by the driveway, and got only this shot before the big doe hurried away deep into the pines.

She kept all that row of bushy tomato plants between us and was very alert.

At least, this year, she was gracious enough to not browse all my Rose of Sharon buds off the little bush! Yippee, some blossoms!!!!

Happy sewing!