Baby quilt and Knitted Shawl: Another Update

Here is a closeup of Grandson's baby quilt.  I am quilting through the layers by outlining animals in the plain blocks.  It took a bit of fiddling to find the right sized quilting hoop that would accommodate the layers of material.  Then I had to decide on thread colour and settled on this Aurifil in light blue.  True to form for me, first I had to unsew a motif  that I had sewn in a light tan colour, and then didn't like it.  Italian Aurifil threads are my favourite to work with.  I was introduced to them years ago when I took a course in Redwork and loved them.  But you do have to make sure you have the weight correct for your particular project. 

I've decided to outline each block with some kind of embroidery.  So far, I've used button hole stitch and different sizes of herringbone.  I'm really enjoying working on this project and am determined to take my time with it. I have to overrule my tendency to hurry finishing up one project just so I can start the next. 

It's a little daunting to see my stitching up close like this, eeek!

And here at last is the shawl I was knitting in the last month or so with the Lion Brand Homespun wool.  It is very warm but I'm not convinced about the shape being quite right.  It seems to me the two ends that drape the shoulders and cross in the front are a bit too short for total comfort and the tail in the back is quite long.  I've looked back at the original picture and mine is not that different, so...  I do have this same wool in violets and pinks and I think I will search out a different pattern when I'm ready to begin that one.  It is a shame this wool is not photographing well; it really is lustrous and soft.