October: A Lovely Year of Finishes Finish!!!

I finished the binding last night, but the dark, wind and rain did not encourage me to go outside for pictures, so my dear hubby helped me out this morning by holding the quilt against the wind that was trying to rip the quilt from his grasp!  I am linking up with Sew BitterSweet Designs with my Strip Challenge quilt, now known as Stairway to Heaven, finishing at 45x61.  I had so much fun quilting this quilt!  I love modern quilting and the way I can change what I am quilting whenever I feel like it!  Are you ready for some pictures???

The whole front...love the texture!!

A different design on each of the "stairs" - quite challenging to come up with something to fit the rectangles!

The butterfly.

The dragonfly surrounded by a zillion tiny feathers.

Filler.

Medallion - love playing with my rulers!!

Star.

Fun fillers.

The backing...since the quilt was 45" wide, a single width of fabric just wasn't wide enough, so I hit up my orphan block basket and pulled out extra blocks from 2 other quilts to add to the center of the backing - great way to use those orphan blocks and add some personality to the backings of quilts.

I just love participating in A Lovely Year of Finishes...the give me the accountability I apparently need to get a quilt finished every month!!  Okay, not a whole quilt every month, but to make progress on my projects every month.  When you quilt for customers, their quilts come first and your own stuff gets pushed to the back of the bus; by participating in ALYOF, I am forced to make some time to work on my own projects, or be a failure (in my own eyes) by not meeting my goal.  Do you need the extra accountability to get your things finished?  Oh, and you can win prizes too...BONUS!!!  I won a prize in September and got my choice of a pattern (a Stella Bag) from Clover and Violet.