i got it!

Thank you...to everyone for all your tips and words of encouragement. I have finally got it! My stitches are looking much better, thanks to all the great advise and guidance. 

Heather very patiently helped me get my ladder stitch down (finally)....and although it wielded great results, I was too slow at it. I think it would take me a few years to finish if I kept it up, so I have finally settled on a straight stitch. Mainly because I can actually move at an exceptable pace (i do however still think it will take me a year to finish). To get a little extra practice and to see what my hexes would look like quilted, I made this.......

This will be shipped out in the mail to a friend as a little surprise gift, hopefully she likes it! I am new to making potholders and need much improvement, so hopefully she doesn't mind it's imperfections!! There is a bit of decorative hand stitching on the inner edge...I am not sure it really shows up in the pictures but if it does, it was completely inspired by this binding, made by Red Pepper Quilts.

Outside of that, there hasn't been much sewing going on around here....and I fear there won't be for a while. I am off to Portland tomorrow for a 4 day visit with one of my dearest friends (YIPEE)! It is a mild stone for me, I have never left my family for such a long period of time before and am a bit nervous!! Although, I am looking forward to the R&R, pure girl time......and of course the shopping!! Any suggestions of shops that are a must see? Then it's graduations, trips to Disney, Knotts.....and a month of packing up our house. We are moving up to Orange County in July and after 6 years in this house, I think it will be quite a bit of work to get it all packed into boxes. So if I am not around much for the next few months, you know why!