First Finish of the Year...

I have to begin by saying I had so much fun quilting this!  Initially I planned to switch between quilting this one and another as I grew tired/bored, but that didn't happen.  Once I started, I just kept going.  In a few short days, the quilting was done.

Festivities table runner

I used a gold metallic thread for the Dresden's and black metallic for the background.  I had almost no problems with it except for it occasionally creating a loop of thread on the surface while I was free-motion quilting.  When that happened, I'd have to stop, pull out those stitches and start again.  I probably had to do that a couple of dozen times, but considering how much quilting there is, I didn't consider it much of a hassle.  I used a 90/14 topstitch needle and had the thread on a vertical spool.  When I was finished, this is how much metallic thread I had left on the spool...

It's a little difficult to see the quilting motifs because of the whole black thread on black fabric thing, but I tried as best I could to show the quilting.  It actually has a lot of sparkle in person.

I quilted a half inch grid as a filler.  Because I free-motion quilted the grid, I marked it first using a yellow Sewline pencil.  It probably took as long to mark the grid as it did to quilt it!

I used a double layer of batting underneath the Dresden plates, so they have a bit of extra poof to them.  If I did it again, I'd probably just put a double layer in the entire quilt.  It would give the other quilting a little more pop as well.

Funny thing though, I was so optimistic when I started this project that I would finish it quickly that I made the label ahead of time.  Fast forward a couple of years and  I now think I've learned that I should probably leave the date off until I've actually finished the quilt - no matter how optimistic I feel! (In case you can't read it, the label says Fall 2011.)

I'm intending for this to be my Christmas table runner; however, it doesn't scream Christmas so I think I can use it all winter long.  I'm not going to leave it out on the table though for 2 reasons: (1) my cats would think it was both a toy and a binkie and I could see it ending up on the floor, and (2) it has a black background and for some reason, ALL of my cats shed white.  The black background probably wasn't the best planning on my part, but I thought it would set off the Dresden plates so well (and I think it does).  I'm just going to have to pull this out for special occasions and lock them away!

Here's a summary (so I don't forget in the future):

• Size: 19" x 53"
• Fabric: Nature's Gift by Deb Strain, Bella Solid Black
• Batting: Warm & White (should have used the Natural!)
• Thread: Madiera Metallic for the quilting
• Pattern: I made it up.

I'm already working on quilting the Dresden wall hanging, but it's slower going.  In part because it's a much larger quilt, but also because I'm not finding a lot of time to work on it.  Too many other projects/tasks are requiring my focus right now.  But at least it's seeing forward momentum.  Finishing both of these quilts would mean 2 UFO's off my list (and many, many more remaining).