Monster In The Living Room Update

Well, it is time for an update on the Monster In The Living Room. If you don't know what I am taking about, I have linked the name to the first post I wrote about it. In fact, it was post #2. My attempt at this Marie Webster design has been very trying at times. For instance, when I was squaring up the blocks after appliqueing them (that means I had a big square ruler and I needed them all to be the same size) I made a mistake and cut one block (out of 16) 1 1/2" too small. That totally frustrated me. I put the blocks away for at least two months before I could look at them again. I had to make the block all over. Boy was I careful when it came time to square it up! As stated in my post #2 the only place to put this big quilt while it is in the hand quilting process is in the middle of my living room. I had hoped to get this Monster out of my living room by Christmas. Dear Hubby said if I didn't make that goal we could just put tinsel around the legs of the frame and put the presents under it. He seemed to like the idea because then he didn't have to haul the tree out of the garage and put it up. Well, if you look at the photo you will see the Monster was still in the frame and still in the living room. The Christmas decorations were sitting in boxes on the couch behind it. The frame is designed to make it possible to fold it up and move it out of the way without disturbing the quilt on it. That is what I did. The Monster is now in the basement stored behind the couch in the family room area. The Monster will go back to the living room after the Christmas tree comes down. Since my family gathers here for Christmas dinner I just couldn't leave the Monster in residence in the living room. I worked very hard the past couple of days to hand quilt enough of the quilt that I could move the quilt down in the frame. I wanted to have a fresh new area to quilt on when I put it back in the living room in January. When I was turning the quilt down on the frame last night I realized I wasn't as far along as I had thought even in post #2. I am just now about 50% finished with the cross hatching (straight lines quilted on the diagonal). Who put the extra blocks in when I wasn't looking? I was so disappointed when I realized my actual progress I almost cried. After Christmas I am going to get that Monster out of the living room, and out of the frame before June rolls around - at least that is my second goal for the Monster! Time will tell, and I promise to give you more updates as I go along. Maybe that will motivate me all the more! My fingers are crossed anyway!