Old Block, New Quilt

I am joining in the fun and participating in the Bloggers Quilt Festival 2010.  This is my first, so bear with me as I tiptoe along.  Here is my entry:

It is special for a number of reasons. 

Mainly, because it is finished.

I don't know about you, but whenever I finish a quilt project I have a certain satisfaction.  During the process of making the quilt it often feels like a gruelling task.   I have to push myself to continue on when I get to hurdles that require unstitching or revising my design etc.  Often the project gets stashed away into a dark corner where no one goes.  It may never come out...

So when a quilt is finished it is a cause for quiet celebration within.  It's not scaling Mt Everest, or discovering a cure for cancer, but it is solid evidence that I have persevered. 

What I have discovered is that there is no quilt that doesn't present me with problems, whether they are design,  stitching or time lines.

Another reason for this quilt being special is that I gave myself a few rules when planning it.  Simple block, on point, contrast in scale and value,  darker blocks towards the edge.  I am happy with the way it worked out.

Finally, I quilted this more quickly than usual.
 
It can take several years for my quilts to finish being hand quilted.  I'm always keen as mustard after they have been basted but then the long process starts to drag.

This time it was different.   I counted down every block.  It seemed to speed the quilting up that way.  The setting triangles had a different quilting design that made them more interesting.  I tried a few different designs in the border and eventually settled on something simple, reflecting the blocks.

Well, I am off to view all the other quilts in the Festival and I would advise you to do the same.  It's sure to be good!