Top Finished

Hello All

Well here is the finished top. I have been working on it for the last week. Not every seam in the border is beaded. I had to try VERY hard not to encrust every one. I have included pics of a few of the black and grey blocks. Also one of the beaded spider I had to do, since spiders are a CQ tradition.

I have already reinforced the piece with fusible knit interfacing. Next I will quilt it using Allie's false backing technique. I can't find the exact method on there for a link right this moment, but if you search you should be able to find it

Then I will put the real backing on it, tie with some iridescent buttons on the front and put on a very narrow binding maybe 1/2 inch wide and also a hanging sleeve.

The longest part will be quilting with the false back.

As this piece is only 30 inches square it shouldn't take really long.

I also dug a piece of sequined trim out of my stash that goes perfect. One or two slight problems though. I only have 1 yard and I need a little over two. Secondly I got it in Delta, over 5o miles away. Factoring 50 miles X 14 miles to the gallon in my new love ( a new to me "99 Expedition) X $4.06 a gallon. I am not sure it is worth it, BUT it so PERFECT to trim the middle section.

I am so proud of myself that this piece actually is square. It took me an extra 3 days to square up the middle section before I added the black and grey blocks. This meant adding small pieces to several colors but it was well worth the extra time.

I don't want to give the judges any ammunition against me. Crazy Quilts already have a notoriously rough time in judging. It is almost an impossible task to get all the blocks to lie completely flat. Due to the very nature of how crazy quilting is done and the fact that so many pieces are cut against the bias in the piecing method itself.

So we shall see if I get this done in time. Both Janet and I plan to take our quilt out to the Fair together next Friday. We both did colorstudies and it is very interesting how both interpreted them so differently. I think it will give the public a wider a view of CQ in general as our styles are so different. Though we have definitely have influenced each other .

So off to the store to buy some 'Warm and Natural' batting and the backing fabric

Later
Lauri