Owl Be Done!

This was such a fun quilt! I've decimated my rainbow stash this year, and I can't wait to start another quilt inspired by this one, but no more new quilts until I get down below 20 WIPs. Or maybe even 10...

Too bad all my WIP projects aren't all this fun! I'd be done in a heartbeat!

I used six of the Kona rainbow solids from the front with enough inches left to build a back with 10-inch strips: citrus, peapod, grass green, pacific, hyacinth and magenta. When I got done, the new backing was about eight inches too short on the width. I picked two more colors with enough inches left, nectarine and poppy, and added vertical stripes to the side, lopping off the extra poppy and hoping I'd have enough of that color left for the binding because there was such a small block of it on the newly finished back.


I pin basted the layers and literally couldn't sit down to the sewing machine fast enough to get started quilting!

I did straight line quilting on the stripes because I wanted to finish fast. I selected eggshell-colored Gutterman thread because that seemed to go best with all the different colors. When I make another quilt top similar to this, if I do straight line quilting, I might change the color for every stripe, at least on top.


The straight lines took three nights after work. Then I procrastinated the free-motion quilting a tiny bit because the throat of my inexpensive replacement sewing machine is so narrow.

On the bright side, now I know why quilters who make jelly roll stripe quilts put the panel insert close to the edge. I turned the quilt upside down and didn't have too much trouble working the quilt through the machine!


In addition to not having to stuff a bunch of the quilt through that narrow throat while quilting the owls, I think I'm making progress. Although the eyeballs weren't as much fun as the rest of the owls, quilting this project was a joy, and I hope I carry that joy instead of fear into my next quilt!

This was my first attempt at free-motion quilting way back in 2012. I was so disappointed, I didn't try again for a couple of years.


This is my more confident and less shaky free-motion quilting in 2017.


You know my track record for barely having enough fabric for my binding, right? This is all that's left!


I just love this quilt. I think I'm actually going to be sad to give it away at Christmas, but very happy to see the recipient's reaction when it happens!
















Linking up with Busy Hands Quilts, Crazy Mom Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

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