Finishing...

So it seemed like a lot of extra trouble to repin the quilt twice just to do the borders (once for top/bottom, and again for the side borders), so I quilted the borders on my little Bernina 440.  Like a trooper, she purred all the way through it and did a great job with perfect tension.  The borders came out great.   I am satisfied with the whole thing.

I trimmed the quilt, squared it up and it's ready for binding and label (both to be done by other members of my minigroup).

 

The colors aren't perfect in the picture but the lighting wasn't great, but this is the quilt, as held up by my DH.  I guess I should have taken a picture of the back too, showing the quilting, but I forgot... ah well.  I'm glad I did it - I really needed to use my longarm!  I am still not comfortable with adjusting the tension on it, but I am much more comfortable with the actual quilting process.

Tomorrow I get a reprieve from quilting lol - I play mah jong in the morning and have a dental appt in the afternoon.  But at night, I get to go to quilting at the senior center.... we have a sort of quilting club that meets Thursday nights, so I will get something done tomorrow.

I did just get a commission to make a quilt for a gentleman's 60th birthday.  I am very excited about this, as it's only my third commissioned quilt and it is always a challenge to make an appropriately masculine quilt.  I've been asked for colors in slate grey, blue and black, and perhaps I'll throw in a little pop of moss green for some added color.  I've already picked some fabrics, and just have to decide on a design.  It needs places for friends to sign the quilt, and I've been asked to put teddy bears on the back because he is a collector.  Interesting design challenge.  I hope I'm up to it!