Brave?

For those unfamiliar with huntsmen, they're common in southeastern Australia, and are generally considered pretty harmless - in fact my own mother happily picks them up in cupped hands and relocates them outside if required (i.e. by me!). However, they're a decent size (the one I saw was about 2.5in across) and hairy and ugly, and I'd rather deal with a neat redback than one of these! I'm terrible with them! It hasn't reappeared (and I had Simon look under the table with a torch, and he couldn't find it dead either), but I can't afford to keep not quilting, so I'm reluctantly and cautiously sitting at the sewing table and getting on with it.

There's not much new to show tonight, I've been marking and quilting endless lines - 1/2in apart all around the quilt, on either side of the row of feathered circles. The marking is complete, and the quilting is well over half done; I hope to finish it tomorrow and get onto the rest of the quilting. Straight(ish!) lines are kind of boring...

I was lucky enough a while ago to win this book by Patsy Thompson from her blog, and the motif I've used in the centre of this quilt is adapted from one of her stencils. I've got a long way to go before I can stitch such smooth and even curves, and travel as beautifully as Patsy does, but at least I'm giving myself plenty of practice!