Red Letter Day Mod Sampler Quilt

Well, it's finally quilted, bound, washed and dried AND we've had a sunny day = photos of my Red Letter Day quilt! I love it so much and can't wait to give it to my friend and her kids.

I was also lucky enough to have my big sister visiting, and she helped by holding the quilt up. :)

The pattern is Oh Fransson!'s Mod Sampler Quilt-Along and the fabrics are all from Lizzy House's amazing Red Letter Day line, along with Kona Snow for the sashing. I used 10 fabrics (5 pairs) instead of 12, and made the quilt a smaller 4 x 5 blocks to make it a cot or crib quilt. The dimensions are approximately 40" x 51", after washing and drying.

I also cut and pieced a lot of strips instead of cutting out and piecing all the itty-bitty squares, and was happy with the result. If anyone is interested, I can post some photos and more details regarding this approach.

I was so confident after my first attempt at free-motion quilting, but was quite surprised at how much more difficult it was to quilt this larger quilt. It wasn't the extra area to quilt, it was the difficulty and even physical strain to control all that bulk of fabric. About halfway through the quilting I bought a pair of all-purpose gloves with latex palms from my local grocery store. They were well worth the $5 spent! It made the quilting substantially easier and the stitches a bit more regular. I like to think that the inconsistent quilting adds character to the quilt and overall I'm really happy with the crinkly result.

And here's the doll quilt washed and dried as well. I love how this shot helps put its size in perspective.

Sunshine, beach, visiting family and a finished quilt? Definitely a Red Letter Day.