A gift for Dad.....

This is my Christmas gift to my Father this year and the final handmade gift to show you here. I made this quilt top earlier in the year for a jelly roll competition which if I'd won it would've been quilted professionally as one part of the prize. After I made it I made the decision that if it won or not it would make a perfect gift to give to my Dad at Christmas which felt really good having one Christmas gift sorted and only halfway through the year! 

So it didn't win but I did get a lovely letter/email from the judges giving me some nice feedback. Not having the time to do my preferred hand-quilting I did some simple straight line machine quilting and around the white border I used a decorative machine stitch. The more quilts I machine stitch the better I've become and with this quilt I had no problems at all with puckering on the front or back and I think that is down to the pin basting method I use. I tape each layer to the floor using masking tape and stretch both the back and quilt front ensuring that those layers are completely flat and taunt and I also use lots of pins. 

For the back I choose some pieces from my stash that needed to be used up (ie; they had been in my stash way too long) and also coordinated with the front. One of the prints is some leftover fabric from a dress of my Mothers which seemed sort of appropriate to be used in this quilt.

I only have one more quilt top to be quilted and I'm hoping to work on that this afternoon.  This means I've kept my pledge that I made here to get all my quilt tops quilted before I make any more which of course it gives the start of my new year a clean slate.