green & gray quilt

Yay, a new quilt!

Ever since I started my new job, I've not had much time for sewing, and I've missed it. A few weeks ago I decided to just make something, dang it, so I picked a simple pattern and grabbed some fabrics off the shelf.

I was able to piece the top together very quickly, and to make it even quicker, I decided to experiment with machine stitching the layers togther. All of my previous quilts have been quilted by hand. Hand-quilting is beautiful and makes a quilt very special, but it is awfully time-consuming. And since this quilt had no particular owner in mind, it was a good "not-special" quilt to practice on.

There are a few puckers and folds in the back, where I didn't baste well enough or didn't maneuver it through the machine carefully enough, but they are largely hidden by the post-washing crinkles. :) Still, I don't think it's good enough to give as a gift, so this one's staying with me. If I'd planned that from the beginning, I would have made it a tad bigger, as it's a bit small for a cozy throw, about 50x50. (I'd originally thought maybe I'd keep it on hand for a future baby gift.) But it still works nicely on the couch, and it will make a nice Buckley baby quilt someday. ;) 

The machine quilting is very exciting to me. I really do prefer the look of hand-quilting, but it's really nice to have this option when I want to put something together quickly, whether it's because I'm on a deadline, or because I just feel like it, as I did with this quilt.