A break in the program...

For me, a goal to complete a project each month often means that is the only project I work on, lest I not finish in time.  However, after chatting to my cousin last Friday, I cleared the decks and started something new.

I am quite possibly the slowest crafter around, but when I heard the news, I gave myself a stretch target of designing, embroidering, cutting, piecing, quilting and binding a quilt (albeit bassinet sized) in a long weekend.  Sadly, my cousin's little nephew was grew his angel wings unexpectedly at just 13 days old.  All I could do was offer words of support, having lost my own gorgeous nephew at 7 months old, but also wanted to make a little memory quilt to send to his family.

His funeral is on Wednesday afternoon, and remembering the focal point my nephew's quilt was, on his coffin at the funeral, and later, displayed with his keepsakes until my sister was ready to put them away for safe keeping, I was hoping to get this one in the post on Tuesday for express delivery.  Unfortunately I am not going to make my self-imposed deadline, as I had a whole day out on Saturday with two kid's birthday parties, and we spent a good chunk of the public holiday on a family drive to look at some kittens (we are hoping to buy a little ragdoll kitten as a therapy cat for Master A).  When we got home, I had washing to catch up on, ready for school and work, and didn't set to start quilting until 9pm, with an early start at work for me today.

So rather than rush it, I admitted defeat, put it aside and got some much needed sleep.  It's been a while since I did any actual quilting, so I opted for safe, straight lines, but now I have given myself a few extra days, maybe I can attempt a little free-motion work in the background or outer border.

Here it is, laid out ready for pin basting.  I am doing well so far this year, trying not to buy new fabric if I can help it, so I can get the stash under control.  I can happily say this was all from stash, the only thing I purchased was the applique design, which is so sweet, I know I will use it again.  This is from Applique Download, where Michelle was really prompt to reply when I had trouble getting the design quick smart. It stitched out perfectly - I will definitely go back to her store.

It's a finish

While I forgot to post in time for the February link up, I am proud to say that I did achieve my goal of a finished quilt top! 

I used this block tutorial, and added some 1" sashing since I mis-cut my triangles, and felt they needed some extra spacing.  I found that the sashing helped to keep the quilt top square too, since the background leaves the edges of the blocks cut on the bias and a tendency to stretch. 

I added a border of blue, since the matching quilt will also have a border, and I wanted to tie the two quilts together a bit, since they are both from different patterns.  The only fabric I purchased for this one, was the white background and blue border.  I am trying to make a dent in my scrap bin, but it didn't dent it quite as much as I had hoped, so there are definitely more scrap quilts on the cards for me this year!

My March goal will be to make a pieced backing (also from scraps), quilt and bind this quilt.  I am still not sure on the binding - the calmer blue/red stripe? Or the bright primaries? 

As a stretch goal, I hope to finish the top for the matching quilt, which has sat as a pile of blocks for quite a while!

Linking up to A Lovely Year of Finishes!