Black & White Finish

I told you I needed to get this finished.....so I did!  I got this baby basted yesterday after having some doubts over my backing choice, but decided to go with it, realising that this quilt was never going to be conventional or traditional in many, if any senses!  I'm so glad I did - I love how it has turned out!

It was very difficult to get a good full photo of it, given the ten minute window of sunshine I had culminated with the same time I had to leave for cricket, and Lochie was moaning about standing on the wet grass!  But you can sort of get the sense of how the quilting turned out.

I did a very simple cross hatch on the squares, which was a little tricky because each square is 9", which is pretty big when you're trying to go corner to corner using your eye for straightness!

When it came to quilting the outside black border, I went as organic as I think I have ever been!  I literally started with swirls, then added some pebbles, and then meandered along to a dragonfly.  It just sort of happened!  I used a gorgeous variegated black and white Aurifil thread - #4652 in 40wt.  It really made things very interesting!  One minute you're making bright, shiny white pebbles, next thing they disappear!

This is my controversial (in my head) backing fabric.  I bought this yardage of gorgeousness from Ikea a couple of years ago, and really have just waited to find something to use it for.  I pulled it out and ummed and ahhed about it.  Mostly because the front doesn't have any green on it.  But when I rationalised in my head that this started off as a plain black and white quilt, with no colours involved, I justified its use.  In the spirit of "going with the flow".  And once again, I love it.  The recipient will basically be getting two quilts in one :)

Here are a few more views of the quilting to show how the variegated thread can look so different!

So what started out to be a very simple black and white quilt, has turned in to a very unique and somewhat different looking quilt!  Which works perfectly, because the intended recipient is much the same!  I'm looking forward to seeing how it is received.....

That's my big finish for the week!  In fact, it's my first finished quilt for 2014!

The Stats:  Finished size - 49" x 66"

Fabric - 29 different black & white prints from stash and Black Homespun

Backing - Ikea bird print

Thread - Black Aurifil 50wt for piecing and #4652 40wt for quilting

I'm linking up - You can too!