A Quilt Top Finish and the Current Improv. Play on the Wall

It's AHIQ time again and I've been stitching and stitching, trying to get Chunky Crossroads to a quilt top finish. I sewed as much of the applique as possible before attaching the borders to to the main part of the quilt. So much easier to deal with these smaller widths of fabric, rather than have huge wadded up balls of quilt top to deal with.

Just a little more work to do...

Hard on the hands holding that much fabric in place and out of the way. Plus it's a risky thing when it comes to keeping track of all those pins {or the needle?} if you're constantly mauling the bulk of the quilt for any length of time! {Still not using glue....} My kids already make a habit of checking the couch cushions before sitting down, but I don't want them to completely avoid the living room. Those late evening visits are just way too interesting to miss out on!

It was a simple matter to come back and applique those smaller sections onto each corner after sewing the lengths of the borders into place by machine. And yes, I measured and cut the borders to proper length before adding the applique, only adding approx. 1/2 " extra length for applique shrinkage. So glad I went ahead and added the fat flower buds too! They add a much needed bit of spark to the green and help cut the effect of the sharp green on that primitive vine.

And we have a completed quilt top!!

I wondered for awhile if the vine was overkill on this particular quilt, but once again, the power of simple applique prevailed. I'm a huge fan, as you no doubt have noticed by now? lol

Looking at Chunky Crossroads before I fold it up to put in the drawers!

It's hard to get a proper representation of this quilt as the light wants to scatter across it, light up the greens until they're almost florescent and bleach the lighter looking fabrics until there's no real print to see. In shadowy light, the quilt gets a moody sort of attitude and starts looking kind of sulky. {In a good way because it's not a pushy teenager.} I love it to pieces.  All during the many, many, many hours of applique stitching {would it never end?}, I didn't once tire of the colors and/or fabrics in the chunky crossroads blocks.

Loving this border

That feels like success! The block 'formula' is from Sujata Shah's 'wonderful Cultural Fusion' book and the border design is adapted from one I found in an oldish book called  'Mad About Folk Art' by Gerry Kimmel.

On another note, I've barely touched my Patchwork Doodle quilt. Added a few half log cabin blocks and played with some improv. circles. The funny thing is, my oldest daughter has already claimed this quilt as her own. Hello? It's not even finished! I literally have no idea where it's going, what it will look like or shhh... have any confidence in the general outcome.... {Wouldn't want to discourage the quilt from blossoming.}

Patchwork Doodle

No matter. This is the one she thinks is really cool and since I'm mom, she's quite positive it will have a happy finish-up sort of ending.*sigh  No pressure! Ahhh... My brain is so fatigued these days from attacking the end of the year bookwork. All I want to do after dinner is curl up on the couch with some mindless hand stitching or hand quilting--soothe away those tension headaches. Maybe by next month's AHIQ I'll be able to see it more clearly and know how to go forward. No harm letting it hang out on the design wall for now!