Center Light Bound and Finished

Every time I finish a quilt, after I put the last stitch in the binding and after it comes out of the washer and dryer, I feel like celebrating.  Some quilts are "ugly ducklings" and some are exquisite from beginning to end, but the completion of every quilt is cause for celebration.  I finished Center Light last Saturday and have been celebrating all week!  Thanks for joining me for a minute or two.

I stitched the top of this quilt 5 or 6 years ago then laid it aside while working on other projects.  I had forgotten how much I like it until it called to me when I had to choose the next top for quilting.  It was created because of all the small scraps of whites, off-whites, creams, and light tans I had lying around begging to be used.  Six-inch blocks seemed to be the perfect size for the scraps I had to use.

These blocks show the piecing of some of the whites/off-whites.  Some are very scrappy.

The back:

Particulars
Measurements:

67" x 87 1/2" unquilted
64 1/2" x 83 7/8" after quilting
61 1/2" x 80" after washing and drying (warm wash, regular dry)

Batting:
Mountain Mist Cream Rose 100% cotton

Time schedule:
5/28/13:  on the floor for measuring and choosing backing
6/3/13:  layered
6/3/2013:  quilting begun
9/11/2013:  quilting finished
9/12/2013:  binding sewn
9/14/2013:  washed and dried
This timeline doesn't show that during June and early July I quilted an hour or so a day and during the end of July until it was finished in September, I quilted closer to 4 hours/day.

Thoughts/Lessons/Observations (in no particular order)

• Next time, if I'm using a large print for the back, I will take care to align the pattern along the seam.  I thought of doing that for this quilt but I was in a hurry (for a self-imposed deadline), tired, found it difficult, and just gave up and stitched the seam without regard for the pattern.
• If I'm too tired to do a good job, don't do the job until I'm not tired.
• This is the second quilt I've made with Cream Rose batting in the middle.  I like stitching on it but I'm beginning to wonder if it's just a tad too thin.
• This quilt is not a cuddly quilt.  I don't know if it's because it's new, because of the fabrics, or because of the batting.  I need to pay attention to how this quilt changes over time with use and washing to see if it becomes softer.
• This quilt is not a warm quilt.  Again, I don't know if it's the fabrics or the batting.
• If I'm going to continue to use this batting and want a particular size finished quilt, I need to make the quilt top larger to allow for so much shrinkage.  When I wash and dry a quilt I assume it will not be treated gently in whatever home it resides, so I don't treat it gently to begin with:  warm water wash, standard heat in the dryer.  Of course, shrinkage is not minimal in that case.  This quilt lost 5 1/2" in width and 7 1/2" in length.

Thanks for visiting!

I'm linking this post to
● Leanne's Third quarter finish for 2013 Finish-A-Long at She Can Quilt.  I initially posted my "declaration" to finish at Slow Progress:  Center Light, Red & Green
● Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
● finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts 
● Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday at Missy Mac Creations

--Nancy.
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