I'm Ready for Christmas . . . .

While I was out of town, the final block for the Fat Quarter Shop Kate Spain 2010 Designer Mystery Block of the Month project came. Hurray! I was so happy to be all caught up with blocks one through eleven and ready to wrap up this project. It seems like I've been working on it forever, even if it was only one block a month.

The block, The Final Touch, is designed by Sherri Falls of This and That Patterns.

I thought the pattern company sounded familiar, and when I went to check out her website I discovered that I own a few of her patterns, Wagon Wheels, Just Before Dawn, and Butter Churn. Another funny coincidence, a friend on Monday showed me a quilt she was planning to hand quilt for her Mom, and the pattern was Posie Patch, another Sherri Falls pattern that's a log cabin quilt with adorable applique posies in the setting triangles.

So here it is, Block Twelve - The Final Touch

A perfect name for the last block I think.

I changed the fabric for this block because it used the same fabric that I used on another block that I changed when it came. As a matter of fact, I changed, swapped or tweaked every block but one, the wreath block. And now that it's all done, I wish I would have thought to frame that block with the background fabric so it didn't meet the sashing. I like white space, I added some when I could but I think it could have stood some more.

So here's my final block placement, I think I had those blocks in every possible combination before deciding on this one, the perfect one!

The finishing kit used the red fabric that's also used in the hat, stocking, basket and mitten. I thought that was a little too much red too close to those blocks so I switched to the green.

Plus the green complimented the poinsettia fabric I was going to use for the outer border (not part of the finishing kit).

When I auditioned the green sashing and the poinsettia fabric on my design wall I thought "Eew". A little to wild for me, and even though this quilt is going to live in LA with my daughter, I thought that combination was a little too loud and distracting for her too.

Step One, I toned down the volume on that green by adding a 1/2" strip of the background fabric down the middle of those sashing strips. I stayed with the cornerstones from the finishing kit, which was designed by Brenda Riddle of the Acorn Quilt & Gift Company.

(Speaking of Brenda Riddle and the Acorn Quilt Co, I ordered the pattern Frosted Windowpanes from them, which was the inspiration for the wonderful quilt at the AQS show in Paducah called Fleur de Lis, that I blogged about here, anyway, the Acorn Quilt Co sent a booklet with about 5 or 6 patterns in it as a Thank You gift for buying ONE pattern! How's that for customer service!)

I pretty much went with the outer border designed by Brenda Riddle, except she used the blue snowflake fabric and I went with the red.

Also, the finishing kit finishes at 64" x 78", and the space where this quilt will be hanging is 59 inches wide, so I made my outer border a little narrower.

I thought the pattern in the finishing kit was perfect, a little personality but not so much as to compete with the blocks in the center.

I was so proud to have the quilt all done, put it on my design wall to take that last photo to share with you when I noticed, no . . . surely I didn't . . . I DID, I put that bottom sashing strip on upside down!! UGH!! It's supposed to have two stars in the lower left hand column, not three!!

So here's the conversation I had in my head, "Who cares, it's not like it even matters, it looks OK, it doesn't look unbalanced, really, just leave it, Favorite Daughter will not know the difference, the top fourth of the quilt will probably be on the other side of the rod, no one will even know, just leave it . . ."

You know me, I couldn't leave it. . . .

This if Lifetime Quilt Number 71.

It finished at 57" x 70",

is named, 2011 The Year of Ashley,

and has approximately 772 pieces.

This was my first official block of the month, I signed up for one from another shop once, but the fabric that came was so horrible I never made it, I just tossed the ugly fabric and saved the pattern. Now that it's all said and done, I think I've decided I'm not a mystery block of the month person. I enjoyed getting and making the blocks each month, Kimberly and the folks at the Fat Quarter Shop are very generous with the fabric and the instructions were marvelous, and I thought the patterns were just adorable, but this quilt would look very different if I were making all the blocks at once. You know me and changing up patterns (I think it's a middle child syndrome, wanting to be different) and it's hard to change up patterns when you don't know how it's all gong to come together until the end.

All in all, I think this is a very cute quilt that suits my daughter and her condo perfectly.

I'm hoping to see your finished 2010 DMBOM quilt, be sure to drop me a line when you finish yours!