Baby Quilt Finished

What better thing to do at 3:30 in the morning than to quilt? In the wee hours of this morning I was having trouble sleeping 'cause I couldn't breathe (dratted cold is still bothering me), and I was sure my tickling (read: irritating as all heck), dry cough was going to wake my husband so I grabbed my box of Kleenex and shuffled into my quilt studio . . . and really got a lot done.

Here's the front view of my latest baby quilt. The measurements of it are 35-1/2" x 39".

I did end up making a new backing for it and am happy I took the time to do so. (Kind of gives new meaning to the term "pieced back", doesn't it?)

I was in a group of quilters once when were were discussing what was our personal favorite part of making a quilt. One gal, who was an expert quilter and constantly turned out gorgeous quilts of intricate design, said her favorite part was putting on the binding.

"Really?" I asked.

"For sure," she said. "Because as soon as I'm done with the binding, I can start a new quilt."

Now I can go start a new quilt!

Ooops!

So here is the finished top of my latest baby quilt. Considering the fact that I totally winged it (wung it?) from the word go, I'm pleased with the way it turned out. However . . .

As so often happens (you'd think I'd learn), when I don't buy yardage specifically for a project, I've run into trouble with the backing.

I had an inkling from the get-go that none of the fabrics I was using for the top would be big enough for the whole backing. That's okay, I assured myself. Pieced backings are cool and add interest to the quilt.

I planned on using these two fabrics pieced together for the backing.

I'd used them both in the quilt top and they looked fine together.

The backing went together easily . . . no problem.

But then as I looked at the top and backing both up on my design wall, I saw something I didn't like.

The small plaid fabric I used as the main part of the backing has a definite diagonal pattern to it. I had planned to quilt the center scrappy checkerboard pattern in the ditch which would make diagonal lines on the front . . . and the back. And no two ways about it, my diagonal stitching lines wouldn't stand a chance in the world of not being wonky with the diagonal lines of the plaid fabric. Dang. Back to the drawing board.

Do I find a way of constructing another backing piece? I've pretty much used scraps in this quilt and don't have a lot of any one fabric left now to work with. Or do I jettison my quilting plan for the front? I'm stalled. At a standstill. Derailed. Gonna have to think about this for a while.

New Project

Finally made it into my quilt studio late this afternoon and pulled out some 30s fabric to start a new baby quilt.

I cut up a bunch of 3" x 3" squares for the center of the quilt that I've kinda sorta got half planned in my mind. (Starting like this usually ends up getting me in big trouble.)

Setting the squares on point was what I had in mind and this is as far as I've gotten. Doesn't look too bad for a first random lay out on the design wall.

Next comes a not too wide white-on-white border around this center scrappy checkerboard.

We don't have any special plans for Labor Day tomorrow, so I'd love to spend the holiday (as in "day off") working on this quilt. We'll see if quilting . . . or much needed garden and yard clean-up wins out.