Stack-and-Whack Flower Quilt

I do love the library! One of my favorite quilting books from the library has been 'Stack and Whackier Quilts, by Bethany Reynolds--I've checked it out several times, and it's been fun thinking about Bethany's stack and whack concept: stacking layers of fabric with the patterns exactly aligned and whacking out piles of exactly matching pieces to sew into blocks.

When I found this large floral print (on clearance!) I knew it would be fun for a stack-and-whack project--believe it or not, all the stars are from the same floral print! It was really fun seeing how pieces cut from different areas of the yardage made such varied stars. I enjoyed putting it together, but after the top was pieced I lost momentum and it's been a U.F.O. for a while now, even though I had the back and binding ready to go. This is an illustration of the procrastination principle--a given project grows mentally larger and harder in proportion to the length of time procrastinated.

So, this last week I dragged it out again when I heard about an opportunity to donate hand-made items to a fund raising auction sponsored by the girls group at church. Guess what? Not painful at all! I got it pin basted, quilted, and bound in one day! It's definitely cuter quilted, too--I think the added texture sets it off.

The finished quilt is a smallish twin size, 68" by 84", so the back is pieced from two widths of fabric. This brings up a finer point: to piece the back vertically or horizontally? I know Grandma would have been shocked, but I placed the back seam side to side, right across the middle! Shhhhh--I hope she never knows! Grandma firmly held that pieced backings should be seamed top to bottom, and there should never be a centrally located seam. One wider panel goes down the center, with the remaining panel split and sewed along both sides. Of course, this may stem from the fact that in Grandma's day her fabric was all 35" wide.

Well, I'm encouraged. I may have another U.F.O. or two I can finish and get out of my hair before the auction!