One step closer - but not quite a finish

Even though my quilting progress the last couple of weeks has been mostly FM quilting... which doesn't translate well to impressive progress shots... I started to get quite excited when it appeared that I was approaching the "last corner".  I even made a bit of a schedule, hoping that I could finish that last corner and head off to my LQS to attend their monthly stitching day on the last Saturday of the month.  It all worked out, with the last few stitches done on Thursday and Nana agreeing that she could look after the kids for a few hours.  Woot!  The perfect opportunity to not only buy binding, but maybe even get it sewn on and the hand stitching started.

I love it when a plan all comes together.

The Country Yard even had the perfect binding fabric - a slightly darker grey than the Bella solid background, with yellow, orange and red stars... picks up the bright colours on the front...

And settles down the colours on the back.

OK, yeah, I was well and truly sick of this spiral quilting by the time I was done - this quilt is about 80 x 80" with a lot of background.  But it is a great filler pattern, giving a comprehensively quilted feel, without being too heavy - and still allows good draping.

Progress on the hand stitching will happen in slow bursts.  Summer time in Northland is not the greatest time to sit with a quilt on your lap.  I also have a bit more hand quilting to finish on a couple of stars - although nothing that would stop the quilt from being used.  I haven't made it to The Country Yard for a sewing day since July... it was great catching up, and seeing what everyone was up to.  Checking out the shop samples, and buying a bit more fabric of course, because what would a trip to a fabric shop be without a little bit of buying?

As I look at this basic quilt layout, I wonder if this scattered block idea would work for my odd bundles of fat quarters that I am determined to create something "useful" out of.  I have a granny square block playing around in my head... along with a million and one other ideas.  With this making it's way off my quilting pile, it is also time to think of the next project that needs quilting.  Oh yeah, and then there's Xmas which seems to be hurtling towards us at an amazing rate of knots.

The change in overnight temperatures from winter to summer meant an ideal opportunity to change the quilt on the bed.  Does anyone remember the Made in Cherry sew along a few years ago?

The difference in lighting and flash... I think the true colours are somewhere between these two photos.  Maybe slightly more towards the top photo...