Eliszabeth Hartman All the Animals Sew Along - Week 1 Progress

I purchased a kit to make Elisabeth Hartman's Lepidoptera quilt over a year and a half ago and it has been siting in my closet ever since. When I saw that GnomeAngel would be sponsoring the Elizabeth Hartman All the Animals Sew-Along I knew it might just be time to get it out. 

I am not sure if this has more cutting than the Long Time Gone quilt I made but there is a lot of cutting to do. I am always terrible about cutting too much at one time and paying for it with a sore neck!!!

There are also many seams and angles and it definitely takes a lot of focus. I will admit that I'm still not doing a great job following the pattering word for word, I'm relying on the photos and diagrams.

This is my first time working with Essex Metallic linen. I have used the Essex Yarn Dyed Linen a few times but I have always prewashed. Because this was a kit I was worried that if I did a prewash of the linen I wouldn't have enough. I also did a little research and found a video of Elizabeth Hartman saying she does not prewash the linen. I'm hoping it will be fine but I'm a little worried about fraying and post washing shrinkage. I guess this will be a learning experience.

So here is my Week 1 progress: Alice is finished! Isn't she beautiful!!! The seams aren't lined up as well as I'd like but I'm calling it close enough, I don't want to seam rip the linen if I don't absolutely have to. 

When I went searching in my closet I also discovered I have a Francis Firefly kit too. Guess I have a lot of butterflies to sew!!!