Civil War Quilt Top Finish

This has been a long time coming....at least ten years worth! I participated in a $5 quilt top class a summer probably back in 2002. The idea went something like this: $5 for your first block kit and instructions. If you came back the next week with the block done, you got the next block kit for free and so on. Well, I did the blocks each week, but never put the darn thing together - I even had the sashing, border, and backing fabrics purchased!

I went back to the store the other day to show the owner. She was delighted to see that I was finishing up this one. At one point, she even went so far as to refer to this as "vintage." Not sure it qualifies just yet, but she's well on her way!

Here she is:

 

This will not be going down as my most technically well done quilt ever. Not even close. (It really is a mess!) This class, at the time, was probably a little much for me. But I'm proud of it and I'm even more proud that I went back and finished this one. 

This is also my first and only quilts using civil war fabrics. They are really growing on me. I recently purchased a set to do a second quilt top in, so be on the lookout for another civil war/muddy color top from me. 

I'm thinking since this was a sampler quilt, that I will try out some new quilting designs on each block - a quilting sampler. Hopefully it won't take me another ten years to get the quilting done =)

Happy New Year!

Sometimes It Just Doesn't Quite Work Out How It Should In Your Head

I worked on these granny squares at CJ's Quilt Retreat in the spring. The squares themselves went together just fine, and then I'm not entirely sure what happened once I started getting the sashing on.

Okay, that's a bold-faced lie. I know exactly what happened...I got lazy. I was so anxious to get this top done and move on to my next project, I tried to cut corners (not literally of course!).

I don't HAVE to measure super carefully AND pin the sashing, right? It will be fine!

WRONG!

That is some MAJOR waving I've got going on. Seriously, this borders on ruffling! I'm not sure I could get that much waving if I tried! Sheesh! And it didn't look THAT bad until I put it up on the design wall and then I didn't even want to take a picture I wanted to take it down so bad...embarrassed =(

Once I unpack - WE ARE MOVING THIS WEEKEND! - this quilt is definitely going to require some quality unpicking time. Sounds like a great way to spend a few minutes in front of the TV post move.

Then I will return to good quilting habits and measure carefully and pin and THEN sew.

Lesson Learned