What's Done is Done! 2016 Quilt Finishes Part 1

Happy New Year! What would a New Year be without a look back at what we did over the previous year.....

Mo with his handmade jellyfish from Mel!

First up, Our Porch 2/ Summer Porch/ P 2 project has finished. My top is completed on schedule. That makes me happy.

As I hung the P2 top to take its picture, I marveled at the result, the real-ness of this project that less than a year ago was a pretty and hopeful photo on a pattern envelope.

I would never choose to make this quilt on my own, but I enjoyed every moment.  The design and Lori's quiltalong were inspiring. I loved the happy fabrics, and the freedom to mix and match prints by emotion and style, not genre. (So you'll see a mix of modern Lecien and Riley Blake florals, CW and 30s repros, even a few batiks.) I loved having the handwork for me and Mo to sew each afternoon this painful summer. I was so happy I gave myself permission to machine applique the hated leaves.  I especially enjoyed the baskets, and the Whalies, which don't  really seem to ''go'' but add a certain whimsy. Oh and the Watermelon! So fun.

But my favorite part  was designing my own blocks. I love the Kitty and Books, and the Kite [bows to be added after quilting; they will be 3-dimensional].

And I especially loved finding simple Pinwheel blocks and others for the filler spaces.

Originally I bought this pattern with it in mind for me to make, with a friend, as a hope chest baby quilt using the upper right quarter as inspiration. It was too folky for her but I may make this section again someday.

I didn't want my quilt to have the usual wide [expensive] Jan Patek borders, so I did narrow borders in the double pink of the geranium posts.  I dislike rectangular quilts, and was hoping this would square things up a bit. Hmmm. Okay.

Now we come to the teeny tiny clinker. The design looks unfinished!~ It needs---yes! The Big Sawtooth border from Summertime. Just on the two sides.

I love this! I can either steal Summertime's borders [and sub squares like its other border] or  make new ones. As I recall they went together fast, so...?

I also recently came across this wonderful nautical children's toile and coordinates. Perfect!

P2 is perhaps the only quilt I've ever made that one of my children sort of liked. We agreed it looked like Summer, and have renamed it "July" .

''July is dressed up and playing her tune...summer breeze makes me feel fine...."

I'll end here and show you the first sunset of 2017, below. And so apropos, a crescent moon.
More 2016 finishes on Wednesday.
You can see other versions of The Summer Porch quilt on Humble Quilts

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.......