Star Wars - The Perpetual Menace

Every time I start a new project, there is a wave of enthusiasm. I am working with new fabric! This new design is so exciting! Oh, how perfect this quilt will be when I have finished! Usually, that enthusiasm fades as the project goes along, until eventually during the last stitches of assembly, when I am just glad to have it DONE. Occasionally, however, a project lasts beyond that wave, and becomes... a grind.

And so Star Wars has become for me.

Don't get me wrong - it's still coming along well - but I'm really tired of blanket stitching with my machine. I've started making stupid mistakes, like sewing two characters together (not once but twice) or getting so entranced by the needle that I forget to stop where I need to. And if I have to make another 20-minute drive to the quilt store for a thread color I didn't know I didn't have... Augh! It's enough to drive a quilter nuts! I really really can't wait to get to the "assemble" and "FMQ" states. That said I did make some good progress this weekend!

I finished machine-stitching the blanket stitching on 4 of my 6 characters:

Chewie and Leia

Han and Jango

OK, Yes Jango could use a little touch-up, but that shouldn't take too long. Snd even though (or perhaps because) the thought of more applique makes my stomach churn right now, I was able to think of a pieced alternative to the two-lightsaber design I was going to use across the center of the quilt, with two traditional pieced stars instead:

Not exactly the most inventive solution, I know. But I was able to whip them up pretty quickly this morning, and even though then ended up kind of wonky without my *intending* them to be, they will serve my purpose. I am still trying to figure out how I want to put noses and mouths on the human characters (Applique? FMQ? Permanent Fabric pen?), and once I have that, finishing the blocks should be pretty smooth sailing.

Then, it is on to assembly. Which I pray goes quickly, because I have a big stash of other lovely, exciting, enthusiasm-inducing fabric waiting for me.