Granny Squared

Another finish for 2013! I'm teaching the granny block at Linderella's on May 18. So I needed a store sample:)Every time I teach Color Theory, I use these fabrics for the complimentary example of muddy colors. And every time, I think...I want to make a quilt from these. So I did:) (I couldn't crop out Mack the chihuahua:)

I used strip piecing and made 16 blocks at a time. There are lots of great tutorials; I like this one. I used width of fabric to get 16 blocks at a time and pressed a little differently. I made two sets of 16 to have enough for the whole quilt.

There's so much pressing for granny squares. Pressing is not my favorite activity:( But it's worth it!

I did 2 1/2" sashing (finished 2") and 6" (finished 5 1/2") for the borders.

Ready to be pinned! I've started ironing my quilt top onto the batting before I pin. It's really making it smooth!

And pinning. I've also starting pinning much more frequently which is making things go MUCH smoother in the quilting phase. My border was really wrinkly and I should have ripped it out and sewn that seam again. But unsewing is so unfun. So I left it and it worked out fine:)

And here it is fresh from the dryer! I'm not usually one to quickly wash my quilts. I tend to hang them in the shop unwashed. But I wasn't really loving my quilting and I thought wrinkles would help. They did!!

Finished front!

And finished back! I'm 100% sure that I like the back even more than the front!! I'm obsessed with this print from Tula Pink and I used all my extra blocks for an accent stripe. From the moment I saw this fabric, I wanted it to be a backing and the color was perfect for this. I will probably lay this quilt on the side just as often as the "front".

I used the same fabric for binding. I cut it along the selvage instead of width of fabric so the stripes would be perpendicular to the quilt. I had a piece left from the backing that was the perfect size for this:)

The guru and I are en route to LInderella's to deliver this baby (and a few other samples:) See you soon Linda & Carl!!xo LC