Goddess finally secured

I finally found time to stitch, in the midst of utter chaos. One daughter was in Japan visiting her brother, leaving her 2 dogs at home. My other daughter is in a play with the local high school. This was their week to perform. I was feeling tugged in a dozen ways. It felt so good to sit down with my machine and relax. 

I stitched on a thrift store shirt of my daughters. It started as a white cotton shirt but was a bit yellowed, so she tie dyed it. Now it needs taken in to fit her. I stitched the sides but she wants it taken in even more. The kid is so slender. 

I also pulled out my Express Your Love quilt. I needed to finish securing the main lines of my Goddess. I unfolded her and nearly cried. I had drawn the lines with an erasable fabric pencil. It never occurred to me that the lines would rub off when the fabric was folded. My heart sank. 

I had already stitched the Earth, ribbons and most of the rays. I still needed to stitch her face profile and hair. The profile needed to be drawn but I decided that if her hair got a little wonky, I wouldn't sweat it. My hair can be wonky, LOL. 

I could almost see some of the lines, the problem was using a flat presser foot. I couldn't see what I was stitching. I needed a better foot and lots more light. And to stitch everything at once if I was going to keep using a pencil. I redrew her face as best I could. Then I stitched it, plus her hair and a few random lines I hadn't finished. She is now secured and ready to be free motion quilted. Yeah!! 

I'm an experienced sewer. I have sewn clothes forever and still do. Baby clothes to formals - it's all good. In quilting, I'm a beginner still. I have done place mats and baby blankets but nothing free motion or art-y. Express Your Love is an art quilt - a wholecloth quilt, intended to be free motion quilted. It's a challenge on many levels. And I am making all the rookie mistakes. 

I did not stretch my backing tight enough before basting. I did ok but not great. I used pencils to draw the lines which rubbed out promptly. I do not have a free motion foot or altered a foot to accommodate free motion quilting. I will learn the new skill set to be a better quilter but the dumb mistakes grieve me at moments. 

My goals are to get a lamp to better light my sewing space. Maybe a better foot? I want to buy a new machine but I am waiting on a potential tax refund. So I need to work with the tools I have right now. I need to work on my patience most of all. What are you stitching?