This post has been sitting around waiting to be finished for a week now, so here goes.
For the end of March here is one more quilt off my to-do list! For lack of inspiration, I'm just calling this one Checkerboard on Point.
And with this one finished all the remaining 2-1/2 inch squares are gone! This throw size quilt measures 58x68 inches. The top looked pretty boring until I found the two border fabrics, which seemed to perk up the entire quilt. Still, not a quilt I plan to keep, it will go to our quilt ministry for donation.
As with the last quilt, this one is machine quilted with variegated thread using the serpentine stitch in vertical rows about 1-1/2 inches apart.
This next photo shows a bit of the backing fabric, left over from a wide back of a few years ago.
That backing has appeared in several smaller quilts, and I wish there was more of it as it's busy enough to hide the seams and minor issues with tension, etc. Plus, it just seems to harmonize with everything I've used it with.
So, what criteria do you use for deciding whether a quilt is a keeper or sent off for donation? I've asked myself that question a lot recently, especially since storage space in this small house is at a premium. There may or may not be one dresser drawer vacant at any point in time, depending on how cold the nights are seasonally. Right now there are five quilts on my bed, three that I sleep under, one humongous queen bedspread size, and one (the only "springtime" looking quilt in my possession currently) that will shortly take a place of honor on the back of my recliner in the living room. All the quilts on the bed are "keepers." All are pieced, some with limited applique, and all are hand quilted. Any new makes destined to become "keepers" first and foremost need to make my heart sing, that bring a smile every time I see them. Secondly, they will be hand quilted; there is a special softness and loft from hand quilting that greatly appeals to me. Color and design are right up there as well.
So, the quilt above, does it check any or all of those criteria? I'd have to say no. Nice enough perhaps, maybe, but no. I have very few quilts that could be classified as evoking "spring time," though here is one fairly recent make that checks all the boxes as a "keeper" for me.
Do I have a rational explanation why this one holds the magic and the first one above doesn't? Nope!
Though I think it has a lot to do with the fact that it is hand quilted, the colors and fabrics are all ones that I love, and that the center block was a gift from a fellow quilter/blogger.
So, please chime in on how you decide which quilt holds the magic for you?
