I’ve just thought about my title and realize it sounds as if I view quilting as a type of competition or race.   Not true at all, or is it?  My aim isn’t to become a prolific quilter and turn out dozens of quilts in a year.  This hobby is teaching me to be patient and to enjoy all aspects of each project – planning, cutting, piecing, quilting and binding.  However, no matter how patient I become, I will always be goal-driven and finishing a project will always have a wonderful feeling, which, for me, is so similar to the feeling of crossing the finish line in a running race or a triathlon.  So, I guess it’s kind of the same, but in a different way.

This quilt, as yet unnamed, started as a pre-cut kit that I bought at the National Quilting Association show in Little Rock, Arkansas last spring.  The 50+ squares were cut at 10″ and the pattern was Japanese Jigsaw.  When I got it home and started reading the instructions I discovered two things.  One, I didn’t really like the finished quilt and two, there would be tons of scraps/waste if I followed the pattern.  So I decided to use 42 of the squares and placed them in such a way that I liked.  I pieced them and then added a very narrow red trim line between the blocks and the border.  This brightened it up and tied the front to the red batik backing.

This was my first go at Free Motion Quilting a large project and it was so much fun.  I’ve practiced on lots of little scraps and bits, but felt a need to ‘just do it’.  Each different block pattern is quilted differently. Patterns include pebbles, meandering, spirals, clamshells, cross-hatch and flame stitch.  The fabric is busy and unstructured and very forgiving – a great piece to learn on.  I bound it in a grey fabric that picked up the greys, black and white in the body.

Here’s the finished quilt, hanging on the fence.  Good timing, as the next day there was 3 inches of snow!