2nd Finish!

The second binding is done, and the quilt is wrapped and on its way to my dad for his birthday!  

This one feels like it's been quite the process. It actually began as quilt BACK for a quilt top that I made to give my dad years ago. 

   

That quilt was Star SA-lute, a design from Country Thread Designs, which I made in rust, periwinkle, a print, and cream--only four fabrics. (I don't think the book. Star Gazing, is still available for sale.)

These are the fabrics and pattern--someday I'll pull the quilt top out again, but right now I'm not sure where it is!  It was a bit conservative for me--usually I make scrap quilts, so sticking with the same four fabrics was hard.   It was quick to piece, but has remained just a top.
  

This past spring (ten or fifteen? years later), in "Spring Cleaning Mode", I pulled it out to finish it, and decided to use fabrics from my stash to piece together a back in those colors.  (These are some of the fabrics I planned to use on the back.) 

I began cutting away, but when I put them on the design board, ICK!


Of course, by then I had cut quite a few squares.  I scoured my quilt books, looking for something else I could use them for, that wouldn't be too time consuming, and found the Yellow Potpourri quilt by Kaffe.  It used 9" blocks, and would work with the size pieces I'd already cut.  I then planned to make that quilt to use as the back of the quilt for dad. 

But, as I worked on that quilt,  the lighter fabrics seemed to stick out and disrupt the flow.  

 So the quilt evolved into a rather dark one shown on the left.   It is much spottier than the Kaffe one since my fabrics weren't as homogeneous in color.

While finishing it, it occurred to me that it would be much more practical for my dad than the quilt I originally planned for dad which had a cream background.  (My dad has a black lab who is known to have been on the bed at least once or twice.)


 So Dad will now get this "quilt back" for his birthday next week.

 

The backing is Brandon Mably's Jazz in purple. A little wild, but I was able to get it for a ridiculously low price, and it coordinates so well with the other fabrics, I couldn't pass it up.  I think (hope) it'll be fun for Dad.

If you'd like to make your own quilt from this pattern, the pattern and directions are online for free at:  http://www.abramsbooks.com/stc_craft_news/sssq/images/YellowPotpourri.pdf

I followed the instructions as written, EXCEPT  I added an additional column to widen the quilt.  AND, be sure to pay attention to the diagram, as you need to have two of the outside border blocks larger than the others, to allow for the inner border addition. 

Happy Stitching--and Happy Birthday, Dad!