Finally Quilter's Quips Quilt is Finished

It's taken longer than I had anticipated, but it is FINISHED!  And...though it is far from perfect, I'm very pleased with it.  Actually, when I think that I had cut the fabrics just prior to going to the quilt retreat July 19 - 21, and then finishing it today, August 16, that's not very long for me from start to finish!  I had a few unavoidable life interruptions along the way, nothing serious, but I just couldn't stay with it all the time.  Yet it was a really fun project all the way.  Well, that was true until I discovered the thread tension on the back was a mess is a few places.    But today while tied up on the phone with a friend, I just kept on "unstitching" a few places and then re-stitching.  I can live with it now. 

I tried something I had never done before.  I decided to stitch a block of batting behind each word block by stitching in the ditch  as best I could before I sandwiched the whole flimsy.   Sometimes I have a hard time staying in the ditch!  That process made the word blocks pop up a little more, and    I like that effect.

I quilted it very simply, down the middle of the white sashings (as close to middle as possible for me), and then diagonal stitching through all the blocks except the ones with words.  Then I just stitched diagonally through the pieced border both directions, which, of course, created a neat little border design on the back.  I did it all with my "walking foot"  (Accufeed) on my Janome 8900, which made it very easy.   And yes, every thread has been tied and tucked, and the label is in a corner.  I named it "Quilter's Quips" which is the name of the word panel, and then I added a sub-title:  (Please don't judge too harshly; this was made just for fun!)  I doubt it will ever get to a show, but just sayin' -------------------------.

Double click and maybe you can see the quilting a bit better.

I thought I was finished with posting pictures when i realized I hadn't shown the binding, so here it is, pieced from the leftover fabrics.  First time I've done that too, but I think it turned out cute.  Of course, you can see those blue stars from the last quilt underneath the new one.  I'm wondering where I'm going to store both of these; probably under the blue bedspread again! 

I have a couple of projects in mind for the coming days.  One should go somewhat quickly; the other will be long and drawn out I think.  We'll see what happens next.  I really should clean house and get rid of a lot of  "stuff" and take a load off my kids when I'm gone!  But that's hard work and not nearly as much fun as quilting!

Hope you are having fun and not working too hard!

---"Love"