Birch Trees Quilt Finished

Happy Friday.  This week I finished the Birch Trees Quilt for my grandson Easton. He picked out the pattern (Bright Birch Trees from Crazy Mom Quilts) and the color palette.  I am really pleased how it turned out.

It was a real treat to work on, even though it was the second masculine quilt in a row I have made (the first was this one for my son Shane).

This quilt was #2 of my finish goals for the 2015 Finish Along which I talked about here.

I should be better about posting more regularly, because when I read other blogs, I love to see work-in-process photos. But I did take some in-process photos, so I will share them now. In the future, I’ll attempt to post more of my work as I go along. Even if no one is reading my blog, it will at least be a refresher for me, LOL!!

Making a seemingly-endless supply of scrap strips

For me, working with so many solids was new, and making those darn trees seemed never-ending. But I thought of Easton wrapped up in it, and really did enjoy the process.

Pinning up and sewing the strips. My cats LOVED them!

Notice how the sewn-in strips are in lower blocks and the dangly strips (not yet sewn in) are higher up? That is to discourage two felines who shall remain unnamed from batting them around.  I think I am going to write a book:   QUILTING WITH CATS.  Should be a best-seller, eh?

After washing, it crinkled up nicely. So soft!!  

I just quilted wavy, unmeasured lines with my Bernina 550QE, using a walking foot and Aurifil 40-wt. thread. OMG, it was the first time I have used Aurifil, and I am now a believer. I couldn’t believe how nice it was. Stitched like buttah!

The backing, which is actually a bit darker than I was able to capture with a camera, is Carolyn Friedlander’s Branches in Charcoal from her Botanics line.  I bought all the fabrics (the Kona solids and the backing) during end-of-year clearance sales. The trees were made from my scrap bins.

Finally, I made a 14” pillow with medium gray on the front. The back is the Branches fabric again, and was constructed to allow easy-on/easy-off for washing.  Now looking at the pillow, I think it looks rather plain. I wish I had quilted it first. Hindsight.

This is my second finish for this first quarter in the 2015 Finish-Along with Adrienne of On the Windy Side.

And this is what is now on my design wall:

It’s the last of my CQJP2012 (Crazy Quilt Journal Project for 2012). Better late than never!  I still have one block to finish stitching, then the process of trimming and sewing them together begins. The center needlepoint has been trimmed, and will finish at 15x15”. When everything is sewn together, I may have some areas to finish stitching to eliminate some “black holes”.  Bottom Left Corner, I’m looking at YOU!  Then I will figure out how to stabilize it before adding a black-on-black houndstooth-weave home dec fabric (a blend). I will add a hanging sleeve and most likely list it for sale in my Etsy shop.  I hope to have this finished in the next few days so I can count this as my third finish this quarter.

Linking up to Fabric Tuesday.
Come back tomorrow for my Scrappy Saturday post.