The Secret Garden is Finished

I started the binding on this yesterday and finished it up today.  I always like that little bit of contrasting color at the edge of a finished quilt.  This one is going to Judy Laquidara and her campaign to help the residents of Joplin, MO.  Judy is asking for $25 cash donations or else for completed quilts.  This particular quilt has a book that goes with it (The Secret Garden, coincidentally!), and Judy has promised me that she will keep the quilt and the book together for a teen or pre-teen girl.  I had always planned to donate this quilt, and so I'm glad it will go to someone who really needs it.

I think my long arm quilter, Tammi, did a nice job on the quilting. 

It's difficult to see in this image, but she used variegated thread with all the colors of the quilt in it.  I really like variegated thread for quilting.

And with the completion of this quilt, I have just one more designated UFO to work on.  It's finished except for quilting and binding, and so I'm hoping to get it finished during the month of June.  But who knows whether that will actually happen?  I'm going to free motion quilt it, and I keep putting it off.  I don't like doing the quilting very much, but I like it when it's all finished.  I'm glad to be back to my "regular" projects, and glad to be feeling less behind than I was a few months ago.

Next up, I'm going to work on the 10th month of my "Checkerboard Flowers" BOM.

I still have ten blocks of the month divided among three quilts to catch up on before these can be finished.  Why I started three at a time I'll never know.  It seemed like a good idea when I did it.  These will be pretty quilts when they are all finished, but I dislike being so far behind on them.

For now I'm off to wash my Secret Garden quilt and then I'll box it off and get it in the mail to Judy.  I hope you're enjoying the beginning of your weekend.