First goal met for ALYoF 2015

I am thrilled to announce that I have met the first month's goal in the 

2015 Another Lovely Year of Finishes (ALYoF) challenge.

My goal this month was to sew on the binding, then make and stitch on a label to finish this quilt shown above.  It was to be a gift for some dear friends, the Dannemillers, in honor of their amazing B'nai Mitzvah.  I was in serious need of motivation to get it completed and ready for gifting...

Fortunately, this monthly challenge, ALYoF, was the perfect vehicle to motivate me.  I posted my goal, and finished the binding soon after.  Then next challenge was to get a blog post written and posted featuring this neat quilt .... there was a slight problem:  I neglected to take a single photograph of my finished quilt before giving it away to my friends.  Fortunately for me, they sent a few digital images earlier today so that I can post my "finished goal" for this challenge.  Aren't friends awesome?

They love love love it and may have mentioned possibly hanging it on the wall - even given its large size.  It is an oversized twin/full quilt.  I love the back of the quilt too -- the print has each of the fifty United States of America scattered across it, much like the Dannemillers and their family as well as their travels.  Click here to see the beginning blocks of this quilt which is made following Jacquie Gering's directions for improvisational piecing in her book Quilting Modern: techniques and projects for improvisational quilts by Jacquie Gering and Katie Pedersen (specifically it is "Shattered Quilt" on pps 92-95).  The blue fabric is one of Marcia Derse's prints.  Look at Marcia's website for more of her eye candy fabrics.  The geometric quilting was free-motion, long-arm quilted by my friend by Pam Biswas.  Check out Pam's website at www.pamquiltaholic.com. 

These images of my Dannemiller quilt mark my successful completion of my goal for the January "2015 Lovely Year of Finishes" challenge.  Click here to see others that have finished their goals for the month, where I am linky #130.  You can also click here to see who entered the month with the goal of finishing something.  I am linky #62 on the goals page.

Thank you to Melissa (of http://blog.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/) and Shanna (of http://www.fiberofallsorts.blogspot.com/) for hosting this monthly year long challenge, A Lovely Year of Finishes, 2015.  Be sure to join us if you are looking for some extra motivation to finish up some of your lingering projects.  The new link for February Goals will be open from Feb. 1st through Feb. 7th.....