Stepping Stones Quilt

I finished this Monday and was going to post a pic yesterday but got extremely busy with a houseful of kids (mine and a friend's). By the time the kids left, I did my exercising, and took a shower, I was too pooped to pop. I just crashed for the evening.

I have decided it should go to the father of the gentleman it was originally intended for. The dad is fighting cancer too, and has been on our prayer list for years, and he was coming to the church for a while when he was feeling up to it. Dale is going to visit him this weekend so he can take the love gift from our Fibers of Faith group when he makes the call.

The fascination cats have with quilts is very curious. Here Mattan is *helping* me do some basting. He got so annoying that I had to put him in the bathroom until I was done. Watching is one thing, but chasing my hand while I am handling basting pins is another!



I did a simple stippling for the quilting.



Close up of the fabric before quilting:



Dale picked out the fabric for me one evening at Walmart's. I have very little "guy" type fabric in the stash. Didn't he do a good job? When I mentioned how well versed in shop talk he was getting (he knows batting, and what the bias is, how to match thread, zippers, buttons, etc....) he just looked at me wryly and said it was part of the hazards of being married to a quilter. Pfffft.

Close up after the quilting:



And, of course I had to do some fun piecing on the back. :)



I have to say I wasn't thrilled with the light green material I used. Someone had given me oodles of it a few years ago, and it is just not top quality type of material. It seems to create "tucks" easily, like it doesn't have enough body to hold its own,so to speak. I have used it in smaller pieces and it didn't seem so bad then. Maybe the trick is to not use it in big portions? I have a TON left and will continue to use it, probably in the scrap quilts I plan on making this year. I have a feeling after using it up I'll never want to see a mint green again. LOL!

The "Just Because" top is completed, and I have decided on how I am going to quilt it. I will start piecing the back today. The quilting is a little more involved in this one because I am experimenting with those wonderful templates my dh gave me for Christmas. I have to say, I am very pleased with the top, and love the secondary pattern that emerged. I am looking forward to posting a show and tell pic of it!

Blessings!