TGIFF--Pinwheel Quilt

Welcome to Wonderland, where today we are celebrating Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday.

This is a special quilt that turned into a UFO.  I'm a girl of good quilty intentions and we all know what road is paved with good intentions.  This quilt, like most of mine, started out with the very best intentions.

Travel with me back to April of 2017.  A dear friend of mine is in charge of the Family Resource Network for our county.  

Each May for National Foster Care Month and in awareness to prevent Child Abuse, the FRN places blue pinwheels around the city to raise awareness for both causes.  So many children desperately need safe and loving homes.

Since, these events would be kicking off the next month, my friend approached me about making a quilt to raffle and, like every quilter I know, I was like OF COURSE!!!  It was April, I totally felt I could have made from start to finish a quilt to raffle in May...wrong.

I found the perfect pinwheel pattern, a free quilt by Sew Mama Sew, called Pinwheels in the Park.  The quilt pieced up quickly and a custom quilt job ensued.  All was well, until I noticed there was puckering on the back of the quilt.  My balloon deflated and I decided there was no way this quilt could be good enough.  In my frustration I banished it to the pile of I'll finish you later.  That was totally unfair of me on many levels.

So three years pass and COVID break hits and I decided, hey, I should finish that pinwheel quilt.  Here's the funny part...I thought I had a ton more to quilt on this quilt and that was why I had put it up.  I had completely forgot about the puckers.  So I pulled the quilt out to assess.

Caroline, was pretty quick to point out, it was the borders.  The borders was what I got stuck on.  All the white parts were finished.  And those puckers on the back...barely noticeable.  

I'm on a huge Natalia Bonner kick right now.  I cannot get enough of her quilting.  I had just recently purchased her class on quilting scallops in borders and figured now was the time.  I tried to use math to figure out how many and how wide and how tall and.....ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!  It was just too hard.  I was making it too hard. The easiest way to tackle scallops is to use your pieced blocks and sashing to place them.  Once I figured that out, it was smoothish sailing.

Now let's talk thread.

For the center of the quilt I decided to use a neutral that would blend nicely all over.  Aurifil #2600 Dove never disappoints.  It's my go to color.  For my border scallops, if I was going to do all that work, I wanted it to show.  I chose Aurifil #2715 Robins Egg to pop off that dark blue Moda Grunge.  For a little more pizzazz, I went with Aurifil #2785 Dark Navy to sink some lines into the background of the borders. 

   
I finished the quilt off with my favorite binding technique...the flange binding.  That tiny strip of light blue fabric adds just the right touch to finish things off.

So you might be asking, how does the story end for this one?  I contacted my friend to let her know that her 2017 dontation quilt was finally finished!!!  I told her I want her to keep it.  Since the making of this quilt, my dear sweet niece, Pickle, has officially became part of the family! (unofficially she always has been)  And Aunt Tish is behind on quilts for forts. Pickle needs more quilts!!!! and forts!!!

I got to take this little quilt on a quilty photo shoot.  Another dear friend of mine has one of the most beautiful charismatic houses in town and gladly let me bring it by for a few glamour shots.  I hope we will be seeing more of this porch!

 Okay, enough about my finish.  I want to hear all about yours!!!  Link up below and tell us all about your finish, big or small.  

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Don't have a finish?  Not done partying?  Come back tomorrow for my weekly linky party UFO Busting.  Don't let that title fool you, not UFO required.  We celebrate those finishes new and old and all those little things that distract us from finishes and creates UFO's.  Everyone welcome!

Thank you so much for stopping by!  My gate is always open to you.

Except when there is a quilt hanging on it.  Then it's closed.  But its totally unlocked...come on in!!