Prepare for Quilitng

One of the first quilting projects in my retirement is for grandson, Thomas.

I will be using many of the same fabrics that were used in his older sisters' quilts.  This is a children's animal print with vibrant colors of green, turquoise, and terracotta.

But before starting the quilting project, I got hubby to assist in building the long desired Design Wall and a pressing board.

We used the foam insulation board, purchased from the local Lowes.  Hubby cut 5'x6' and hung with some mirror screws.

I made a fabric bag for the board to go into.  I am always concerned with cleaning and thought that the bag could be removed, washed, and rehung easily.  I was looking for something that would somewhat blend with the wall color so luck was with me on our Spring trip to Texas and I found the gray felt.  I was not wanting white because the fear that continuous hands on would get dirty very quick. 

The pressing board is just that.....small piece of plywood, covered with only 1 layer of batting and fabric.

I have it set up in arm's reach of the machine with the Oliso iron. Love this iron because you do not have to stand it up on end.  The way you see it sitting here is the way it stays.

I have a large cutting mat, on the sewing table behind the sewing machine and a small one in front of the presser foot for trimming of small pieces as I sew and press.

I am now set up to get the quilting underway. 

Oh, and you can see that I have a mess on the table with several projects going at once.

Quilt will continue first.