A Scrappy Trip Around the World!

Finished!  I finally managed the free motion loops borders at a quilt retreat my friend organized a couple weeks ago - I think my machine behaved because it was intimidated by all the nice machines there!  My first large machine quilted quilt!  A learning process, for sure - I learned the importance of scant 1/4" seam allowances and accurate cutting, that using some cotton/poly blends is not the best idea, how to add borders and piece a backing, how to make a quilt sandwich, how to wrestle a large quilt through a domestic machine, how to free motion quilt swirls (though somewhat unevenly), how to add a label to the back...

 



 

Closeup:

 

 

Back:

 

And here are some interesting numbers for my quilt:

quilt top before quilting/binding: 53"x77"
number of blocks: 24
number of 2" finished squares: 864
total yardage used = 8yds:
- [24 blocks x 6 strips (144) @ 2.5"x16"] 4 yards (counting fabric at approx 40" wide, 16 2.5" wide strips can be cut side by side in one full width. 144/16=9 lengths of 16", so 144", which is 4 yds exactly)
- backing and binding = 4 yds

All the fabric is from my stash!  The biggest part of it, mostly "ugly" fabrics. The batting is part of a queen I bought for $14, and maybe a couple dollars on thread, so this quilt cost me maybe $10-12?