Friday Finish - 05/05/17

It is time to show everyone Callie and Beau's quilt. They have it in their hot little hands and love it!!!! So now I can show it to everyone else. And be prepared, there are lots of pictures today. Just a little history on the quilt. They asked me to make them a signature quilt for their wedding. Everyone signed blocks instead of a guest book, and then I put the blocks together and quilted them. Here is a picture of the setup at the wedding.

And here is the finished quilt. We took it back to the gazebo and I photographed from one side and Sharla from the other. The funny thing is the pictures look so different just because of the angle of the sun.

I used my standard corner label, which I like because it is sewn in with the binding. I also like that I can print it on my computer so it is more readable.

Now the only place on the quilt with Callie and Beau's name was going to be the label, but I thought it needed their names on it somewhere else. So I did a little paper piecing and added something to the back (and I didn't tell Callie/Beau, so it was a surprise).

I think my favorite block is the one that the signer added a batman to the block. Unfortunately part of it was in the seam allowance, but it still makes me smile every time I see it.

I love the way it looked on the swing with the sun on it. I think this one shows the colors the best of all the shots. I was a little afraid of an all solids quilt, this is my first one, but I think it turned out wonderfully. Callie picked the colors, and as always she did a great job.

After taking the photos at the gazebo we called Mecca and Tom to see if they wanted to see it before I sent to off to Callie and Beau. No one answered their phones, but since they are often outside on the weekends we ran over to their house, but no one was around. So we took a couple of photos on their bridge. We posted one showing only the backing, but here is one of the front. And yes we went back later that night so they could see it before it was boxed and shipped.

Over all I'm happy with the quilt and Callie and Beau love it which is all that matters. I learned lots from making this one. I learned that I should have taped the edges of the blocks because to many people wrote into the seam allowance. I learned that people gravitate to certain colors, I was surprised by how few people signed the red blocks. I learned that Callie and Beau are very patient people, because they waited two years for this quilt, but I'm hoping that it is something they will enjoy for 50 years or more. And lastly I learned that working with solid colors isn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be. Here is the last picture for today.

So that is all for today, I'm going to link up with Can I Get A Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict,  Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation, Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts and Finished or Not Friday @ Busy Hands Quilts. Hopefully we will have more to show you next week. This is also my first finish for #2017FALQ2, and it was the first goal on my list.

2017 Finish-A-Long - Quarter 2 Goals

I must be in a posting mood I think this is my fifth post in 5 days. But it is time to set my goals for Quarter 2 of the Finish-A-Long.  I did ok last quarter, I finished 2 quilts, but I would like to to better than that this quarter. Especially since Sharla and I are regularly finishing tops, I need to turn those into finished quilts. So lets get started, some of these are left over from last quarter and some are new.

1. Callie and Beau's Wedding quilt. I need to finish piecing the top and get it quilted, hopefully in April. I've started making progress on it, I just don't know if I can get it all finished in April. They aren't pushing in any way, because they are real sweethearts, but I want to get it done. Here are the blocks before they were signed.

2. Angela's Memory quilt. I put these aside last year because working on them made me sad. I hate the reason I'm making them, and since they aren't made with pretty fabric there is just no draw to work on them. Also I really wasn't sure my friend and her kids to could handle receiving them. They were still fragile and I didn't want to add to the burden. But after talking with my friend last month I realized they are in a better place and would be ok receiving them. Angela's is quilted and just needs to be trimmed and bound.  Since I want them to be surprised with how they look, here is the starting point for them.

3. Ariella's Memory Quilt. I've almost finished the top on this one, it just needs the side borders put on to it and the top will be done. I would like to get it quilted and bound as well. I like that these aren't overly large quilts, so that will make quilting them easier.  No picture for this one, because it would be the same as above.

4. Samuel's Memory Quilt. I have the blocks pieced for this one, but they need to be assembled into the top and quilted. Again no picture. I'm not going to list Tina's for this quarter, but I would like to get the top at least assembled.

5.  Sharla's City Street Quilt. She finished the top in January, and since it isn't that large I would like to get it quilted as well. I would like to get on a roll and finish some of the smaller quilt tops we have finished. It isn't tiny, but it also isn't a queen size quilt.

6. My City Streets Quilt. Since it is the same size as Sharla's it also another of the smaller finished tops. I need to order some thread for this one, because I think I want to quilt it using a darker gray thread.

7. Sharla's Monkey Quilt. I know she wants this one done, because she is a little sock monkey crazy and it isn't that large. I still have to wash the fabric Hollywood drug outside, and piece the back, but that is all doable.

8. Sharla's Big & Tall Quilt. She is working on the flimsy right now as I type, and I think she will easily finish it this month. And since it is basically for my buddy Hollywood, I would like to get it done this quarter. He is not the quilt dog Tucker was, he will lay on them, but he doesn't seek them out like Tucker did. But I think this one he will.

9. Sharla's Strip Box Quilt. Again not too large, so it is more doable. If you've not guessed the theme this quarter it is smaller quilts.  Well smaller by our standards, we don't do little quilts, we do large and larger quilts.

10. My Big and Bold quilt. This is probably the largest quilt on the this quarter's list, but I love it and would love to have it finished so I can use it. I have to order thread for this one as well, but I am struggling to decide what color to use. I'm sure I will come up with something.

So that is more than I can get done, unless something major happens. But it also gives me a variety to work with during the quarter. I will be happy if I get 3 or 4 completed, but always like to have a big list just in case I get lucky. I will be linking up with the 2017 Finish-A-Long Quarter 2 Goals at Marci Girl Designs.