Spring to Finish Challenge

In April, I joined the Spring to Finish Challenge at Tallgrass Prarie Studios.   We were to commit to the projects that we would finish by the end of May, and then list the reward we were going to give ourselves.   Here's what I wrote: 


2 for me. A hand quilted, applique quilt destined for my niece Ashley in New Hampshire. Have to be finished by July 1. And the top for the Pinwheel Party completed (including the extra blocks for Full size to total 30). It is for her brother David, and has the same deadline.

If I can get these done ahead of deadline, I can start on an insane cross stitch inspired quilt I started collecting fabric for last summer. Knowing how detailed/time consuming it will be, I haven't allowed myself to start until the 5 quilts I have to deliver to a family reunion are finished.


I'm happy to report that both are done. 

I finished Ashley's quilt on May 8th.  (Here's the link to the blogs on this one if you missed the story earlier.)

And last night at bed time, I finished the blocks for the Pinwheel Party.  Here they are laid out on my Design Floor.  This was a quilt along at Tiddletails.  It was a block-a-week project with 12 blocks to make a 48x62 quilt.  I made 2 of each block with the plan to make a few more and turn it into a queen sized quilt.  I discovered a few things while working on this quilt.  1) Cutting out the fabric one square at a time is a royal pain.  2) If you wait to cut several weeks worth at a time...you will lose track of time and get WAY behind.  Um, like 7 weeks in my case.  3)  This will look better with wide outer borders rather than more pieced blocks....Right?  I've had as much piecing as I can take for a while and can't bear to do 6 more.  Besides, I still have some mini-pinwheels that go in the joining sashing to sew.

As for the reward.  Well.  Ehem.. The reason I had to finish the pinwheel in a mad day long session to meet the deadline for Spring to Finish, was that I started the Monet quilt Mother's Day weekend.