Finished

Remember this guy? I think my blog got started with this project! And today I wrapped it up in pink tissue paper and sent it off in the mail!



Truth be told, I've never finished a project so large, and I was sad to see it go. Towards the end I kept trying to find one more little detail to quilt, a tag to add to the back, one more thing to make it just right.



You can see I filled each crazy nine patch square with a spiral. For my next endeavor I think I'll pick a pattern that goes a little faster. I finished by running a stitch-in-the-ditch along the border, and it went so quickly in comparison. Fancy that, straight lines!



And yes, I do mean my next endeavor. Somewhere around block 11/35 I thought the hand quilting would never end, and there was no way I would ever do this again. But I love it. I love the way it turned out, the way it looks all warm and quilty after a run through the wash. I love that it looks handmade, that it is handmade, and that it will hopefully be special to Audrey. The last time I visited my Dad I found a stash of handmade quilts and blankets that had been mine, some I remember well and some I had nearly forgotten about, and I just nearly turned to mush when I saw them. I love that. So my next quilt, my summer project, will also be hand quilted. And, gulp, queen-sized.