Choosing a Design

I played around with some design ideas last night for the November TIF challenge.  There were a couple of things I wanted in the finished piece:  I wanted color, not the traditional white-on-white stitches, because I could see more easily if my stitches were even or not; I wanted long enough "runs" of the stitches and repeated lines in order to get in enough practice to master the technique of hand quilting (oh, all right, begin to master the technique); and I had to somehow use typography in the piece. 

Here is one design.  I was going for mini-quilts with embedded letters. 

And here's the second design with the typography more obvious.

Then again, I could stitch some mini-quilts and go with typography that includes symbols, like the example from my inspiration book.

So, my tentative plan is to stitch the mini-quilts in the layout of the first figure and then decide later how I will apply the lettering.  Tomorrow, if the lines at the polls are not too long, I will have time to shop at Wal-Mart for the thimble and thread.  If I'm lucky, I'll find the supplies I need.  My LQS doesn't carry either the metal thimble Alta recommends or hand quilting thread.

I might mention here that the thimble Alta uses has a top or dome with a lip around it (almost like a saucer).  The lip keeps the needle from slipping - a constant problem I had in the class.  The key to small, evenly spaced stitches is simultaneous control of the fabric and the needle as well as holding the needle as close to the tip as possible.  Having a bottle of Advil or Motrin on hand doesn't hurt either both for the headache from eye strain and the cramped fingers.  Alta asked us if we didn't find the stitching relaxing.  Not yet, Alta, not yet!