Done.

I finished hand stitching the binding late on Saturday, after working on it all afternoon while watching the Red Sox. I don’t hand stitch very often and I’m not very confident about my skill, so it’s slow going for me. But it’s done!

This quilt has been four years in the making. I originally pieced it in 2009 when I was working far away from home in San Diego for 6 months. After I brought it home, I did nothing with it for 3 years. It wasn’t until I got a bee in my bonnet at the end of 2012 that I started to put the quilt sandwich together, pin basted the sucker, and then started the hand quilting process while, this time, Don was away in San Diego.

I was determined to finish it before I leave town for Hartford. And I did.

I’ve been playing with it upstairs:

Oh, you queen sized behemoth, you were very hard to maneuver in my small sewing space! This just might be a good reason to never get a king sized bed.

Before you say, “But Claudia, you have one pattern on the headboard and then all those patterns in the quilt,” remember that I like a lot of pattern. You’ve seen the rest of my house, haven’t you? I have no problem mixing patterns – maybe it’s my British heritage. I like all those cozy British cottage living rooms with an abundance of pattern. I promise not to go crazy with the pattern love.

You look pretty at the end of the bed.

I love you.

Pretty in the bedroom, isn’t it? Well, it’s only there temporarily because it’s traveling with me to Hartford! Yep. Why, you ask? Two reasons. One: Don, though he loves and appreciates it, won’t love it like I do and I don’t want to leave for Hartford and not be able to see it for 6 weeks. Two: Duvets, duvets. Remember my post about them? I don’t like duvets. This trip I am staying at the hotel for 2 weeks, then I’m moving to the company apartments for the rest of my stay. Both places have duvets on the beds. Do. Not. Like. So this time, instead of throwing the too heavy duvet off the bed and then shivering because a sheet isn’t quite enough, I will have the quilt. See? Doesn’t that make sense?

And I can look at my pretty quilt. And it will make my temporary lodgings more home-like.

Don and I were going to try to take a photo of it outside, but it’s too gosh darned windy and cold and gray out today. Spring? Are you there? Will you please come for a few days before I have to leave on Thursday?

Some comfort: our first daffodil has opened up. It’s right on the edge of the woods. Such a beauty!

Quilt details: Design inspired by the Snowball Quilt in Kaffe Fassett’s book, Museum Quilts. Many, many of the fabrics are Kaffe Fassett designs, along with some from my stash, border fabric is by Jinny Beyers.

Happy Monday.