Leave no blocks behind - In pursuit of a quilt back

Back in March I was the quilt designer for the Faith Circle quilt. For this quilt I asked the Faith Circle ladies to make wonky disappearing 4-patch blocks using a palette of soft colors. You can read more about the quilt design and find the block tutorial here. In my mind I had visions of a plaid center section surrounded by applique borders of whimsical flowers. 

After a few more months than I intended the finished quilt top finally emerged :o) These happy little flowers took longer than I expected to complete, but I am oh-so-happy with the finished top...it turned out exactly as I pictured it.

As often happens with our Faith Circle quilts there were a couple of blocks left over after the quilt top was assembled.

I try to go by the motto, "Leave no blocks behind." In other words, when a quilt is completely finished (quilted and bound) I really don't want any orphan blocks left over. A good way to accomplish this is to use the extra blocks when making the quilt back. I have collected a few larger cuts of fabric to put together with the two blocks in a pieced back. I want the back to use the same soft colors as the quilt top.

In my quilt notebook I've started to sketch out an idea...we'll see if it works out with the blocks and fabrics I've pulled. I hope to get the back pieced this weekend, and maybe get the quilt basted, too. 

I'm excited to see this quilt progressing! 

January Finish - A Lovely Year of Finishes

I'm happy to report that I have a finish for the month of January! My goal for the January 2014 Goal Party (link No. 79) was to complete the Row Quilt for the Faith Circle of do. Good Stitches. I am linking this post to the January Finish Party ;o)

I asked each of the Faith Circle ladies to make a row using the block of their choice. Rows could be as basic or intricate as they desired and should be 4, 6, or 8" in height by 48" long. To add a bit of visual interest I set two rows perpendicular to the others. The quilting is an all-over meander except for the area around "hope."

A special part of our quilt is the "hope" row. I wanted it to be quilted just a bit different so I used yellow perle No. 8 cotton to hand quilt around each of the letters.

I'm happy with how the plaid looks on the quilt back...and thrilled to have used up several pieces of fabric that have lived in my stash for a couple of years now :o)

I am especially happy to have used this striped fabric for the quilt binding! I am often challenged for how to put large prints and stripes to use...especially one as bold as this. It really made for a nice binding and I think turned out to be a great use for this fabric.

This quilt will soon be on it's way to Restore Innocence in Colorado. This wonderful non-profit group works to rebuild the lives of those rescued from human trafficking. 

Oh those quilt backs

The sticking point for me on most quilts ends up being the quilt back. By the time I get to this point I'm just ready for the quilt to be finished. I often turn to the Quilt Backs flickr group to find inspiration. This is the back for a quilt I am making for the Faith Circle of do. Good Stitches.

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The front is called Scrappy Triangles. Each of the ladies in the Faith Circle made triangles using scraps from their fabric stash. This quilt is a good way to put tiny fabric scraps to good use. This fun block was designed by Ashley who blogs at Film in the Fridge. The tutorial can be found here. 



Next up is the basting process. I'm still mulling over pin basting or spray basting. I really like how securely the quilt is held together using spray, but at the same time it leads to a more "structured" feel when quilting. I've toying with idea of doing an all over stipple pattern. I've never done free motion quilting (FMQing) on a quilt this large and I'd kind of like to give it a try. If not, there is always straight lines...I like them, too!

Here's a scripture verse to inspire me to finish this quilt...maybe it will inspire you, too!

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning...  Ecclesiastes 7:8a