Quilt Blocks and another UFO complete!

Above is the first block of the quilt-along I am participating in. I tried SO hard to be accurate with my 1/4" seam but the whole thing finished 12.25" square! (It is supposed to be 12.5"). Even with a 1/4" foot on my machine, I still have difficulty with getting that right! You can check all of the other blocks in the flickr pool. I love seeing everyone's different fabric choices. What has surprised me the most is the very country/calico choices people are using - which has made me realize a lot of traditional quilters are paying attention to the modern quilting world, while still following their own choices in fabric. Of course, this is a very traditional block- but the bloggers who are hosting the quilt along are known for their modern take on quilting.

Next, here is the first block of my African Heart Dresden Plate quilt. I have had this idea in my head for at least 6 months and it has been slow going to bring it to fruition. Part of the problem was gathering the right fabrics - a bright royal blue and electric yellow were the challenging colors to find. I am having second thoughts about the background fabric (Kona White) and will bring this block to this Saturday's NEMQG meeting for some feedback.

I pulled this completed UFO out of the dryer last night. I had completed the quilt top almost exactly a year ago and wrote about it in this post. I really haven't liked it at all - but it does make a big difference to have quilted it and see it with some texture.

I came really close to buying some backing for this quilt because I just didn't have anything big enough in my stash that matched - but I finally went with this Prints Charming plaid stripe from my stash. I think it goes with the quilt pretty well - although I was having second thoughts the whole time I was completing it. Another nice thing about the backing is that Prints Charming Free Spirit fabrics are printed on a very soft cotton - so it feels really nice.

I have no idea what I am going to do with this quilt - I am starting to have a little pile of quilts with no destination/purpose. I am sure they will come in handy for future baby gifts and I am also contemplating on selling them at some point.