Finally!

This is the Summer Block of the Week 2011 from Primitive Gatherings.  I promised myself I wouldn't start this year's blocks until I had last year's border appliqued, and it is done.  I'm doing a happy dance here!  These borders took forever - I think I started them in January.  A few small projects worked themselves in there, but I've been working on this big one steadily.  The flowers are all stacked, so it takes two or three trips around each one with the blanket stitch.  I really enjoy the process, but this one got a little tedious after about the 20th flower.  (Each of the cornerstone flowers is stacked, too.)

The store used a different setting, with piano key sashings and borders.  I pieced the sashings and borders that way, but didn't like the way it looked, so I ended up with a purple/tan Civil War reproduction fabric for the sashing and borders.  I'm happy with it - mine just looked too busy with my piano key fabrics. 

 Now I've just got to figure out how to quilt it.  This is a big quilt - at least big enough for a full bed.  I've seen some great quilting on the blogs; now if I can just replicate some of it with my sewing machine!  I got my Bernina 1230 cleaned and oiled, so I'm ready to tackle a machine quilting project when it's too hot to be outside this summer.

It's a good thing this is done - Block 4 of the 2012 Block of the Week arrives tomorrow.  It's going to be hot for the next few days, so I think I'll sit in front of the AC and get caught up on this year's Block of the Week!  I really enjoy these Block of the Week projects in the summer - this is my fifth year to do them.  Two of the year's projects are completely done and hanging on the walls, the 2011 quilt has the top done, and the 2010 quilt has the blocks made but nothing done with them.  I'm still waiting for inspiration on that one!

Thanks for stopping by.  I'm on vacation/staycation this week, so I'm hoping to have lots more to post about by the weekend!