Quilt progress?

Well very slow progress is being made with my tulip quilt for the Springwood Quilt Show, though in a sign of optimism I did drop off my entry form yesterday, so now I am committed to finish it otherwise there will be a blank space at the quilt show. I am very well known for procrastination (my mother says  it is my middle name, and often quotes "procrastination is the thief of time". So I have been doing things other than quilting.

Dead heading agapanthus so that their seed does not spread into the bush. Whilst in the garden I found our very overgrown and forgotten cumquat tree.

What to do with all this fruit? My son M said "Don't preserve them in brandy, they were awful when you did that". I had some very ripe bananas, so had to make a banana cake.

I managed to take a photo before my sons scoffed the lot. And then I did some quilting. I love the look of hand quilting as it progresses and you get that puffy look. I can't quilt using a bare finger underneath, for years I have been using this great little gadget (I am also known for loving gadgets) TJ's quick quilter. This is my second one as I managed to wear out the first one that I had.

Try as I might I cannot get my quilting stitches even in length. Any suggestions?