The McQuilts, piecing tip, walking, and an update on the wedding quilt

I got the first McQuilt top pieced last night.

Then I got a two rows of patches for the next one sewn.

My piecing tip is that at any seam that is going to be on an outside edge, I stitch a few shorter stitches. This help keep the seam from coming apart when handling the top. I do this when sewing together the patches for the top and botton rows and when I sew the rows together.

Yesterday I did part of my walk in the opposite direction I ususally walk. This section of the towpath connects the downtown area to the more wooded city area. There are lots of bridges and funky paths meandering between the buildings along the locks.

And then I spotted a deer on the towpath. He was walking away from me so I caught his backside.

One of my readers said I should post about two of the fabrics I used in the wedding quilt. My brother toured with Jimmy Buffet for three years. During that time I met everyone including the wardrobe lady. We would get together and talk sewing. I was working at the bakeware plant and I use to take boxes and boxes of pans for my brother to give to the crew and the band. The guys loved them! They had something to take home for their wives. Then the wardrobe lady was into making felt hats and was looking for some old wood hat forms. My dad and I found a few and gave those to her. She was thrilled. Well, the wardrobe lady told my brother she had a bunch of fabric she had no use for and gave it to him to give to me. There was lots of good stuff! I ended up making her and Jimmy a quilt using some of the cotton fabrics she gave me. I was told that Jimmy takes his quilt with him on tour! The only picture I have is not digital, but I will try and take a picture of it and post it tomorrow for all you parrot heads out there! Some of the fabric was leftover yardage for the custom printed fabric by Hoffman of California she used to make shirts for the band. Here are two of those prints I used in the wedding quilt.

I mailed the quilt yesterday and I will be on pins and needles until it is safely in my furture sister-in-law's hands.