Meet Tommy.

 So today was the day.

I wasn't supposed to be working on Lest We Forget today, but it happened anyway. And I'm so very happy that it did.

I spent some time this morning cruising the web, looking for ideas to fill some of the black and white spaces. I wanted something that would add interest without taking away from the poppies.

Then I came across Tommy.

You know the classic black silhouette of a soldier, standing in the "Rest on your arms reverse" pose? That was the one.

I had quite a large space to work with in the black section, so a printed template wasn't really going to work. There was nothing for it — I would have to draw him by hand.

I'm rather pleased with my efforts.

Next, I set about quilting him using my walking foot and black thread. I couldn't really see him from the front of the quilt. He looked great from the back though. I wanted something subtle... but perhaps that was just a little too subtle.

I decided I would think about it while I worked on filling the other spaces.

Poppies of course.

The first one was great.

Then they went downhill faster than a runaway train. 😂

Some unquilting took place, followed by a rethink.

And then I went off on a slight tangent. My brain came up with the idea of big stitch quilting... and that's when Tommy showed his true colours and my first ever efforts at big stitch hand quilting.

I loved what I was doing.

I see a lot more big stitch quilting in my future.

I really didn't need another handwork project, but it seems I have one anyway. Tommy may be keeping me company and keeping me busy for some time yet.

And you know what? I'm perfectly happy about that.

As I have been working on this quilt, I have found myself calling the soldier in the black panel Tommy.

Not because I have randomly given him a name, or because I have become attached to a name for the sake of it. I call him Tommy because that is what he is.

In British military history, "Tommy" (from "Tommy Atkins") became a familiar name for a British soldier. Add in the tin helmet, the rifle, and that unmistakable First World War silhouette, and the name just comes naturally. When I look at him, my brain simply says, "That's Tommy."

But I think the quilt itself should still be called Lest We Forget.

Why?

Because Tommy is the figure within the quilt. He is one of the characters in the story. The poppies, the soldier, the quilting, and all the details come together to tell that story.

Lest We Forget is the message the whole quilt conveys.

There will still be poppies dotted about in those blank spaces. Hopefully, they will be created with big stitch quilting too. I still like the idea of some echo quilting around the flowers and leaves, but now I think that may become another opportunity for some hand stitching.

I really didn't need another handwork project. Honestly, I have quite enough already! 😂 But it seems that Lest We Forget had other ideas.

Tommy may be keeping me company, and keeping me busy, for some time yet.

As for the barbed wire in the borders...

I make no comments and absolutely no promises. 😂