Neutral lap quilt finished

It's been a long time in the making. I guess since it was never a UFO, it hasn't been that long! 😊

In early April I wrote in a post that I had cut all of the fabric ahead of time since there was a strip of each fabric in every block. I guess 6 months for making a lap quilt is not that long, but usually when I get right into it, it takes less time.

I had finished the top by the end of April so it looks like I was busy with other things in May. On the last weekend in June I had sandwiched the quilt and started FMQ it with stencils. Just in time for my June OMG (One Monthly Goal).

Then I got bored and a little frustrated. Turns out that marking the stencils was very difficult on these different shades of brown. I was hoping to finish quilting it by the end of July - it was my July OMG, but that didn't happen. I finished quilting it by the end of August but have had so many things to blog about that I'm just getting around to it.

We also had a major heat wave for the last two weeks and I was estivating. No way I was going outside for the photo shoot in that weather! I've actually found another spot to take pictures near my home, but it seems to be more convenient for me to just take the quilt to work in the morning and take the pictures before I go in to work.

I'm keeping this post simple - just pictures from the photo shoot. I had so much fun snapping those pics! Isn't this baby photogenic?

In the end I did a lot more FMQ without stencils because the marking was just getting ridiculous. It also took quite a while quilting between all of the blocks. I do like the results...and this quilt will go to my sister-in-law before her 61st birthday!

This quilt was also one of my goals for the 3rd Quarter Finish-A-Long. Here are the links to my original goals, the 3Q FAL goal setting link up and the final link up.

What I learned

• It's such a great thing to be able to look back on my blog and see what I did many months ago. I don't usually remember what I did yesterday or this morning, so having a diary of my quilting adventure is a real treat! I could never have written this post with any accuracy without past posts!
• I like using stencils to follow when FMQ because it gives me other patterns that I would not be able to do free hand. However, marking a stencil on a quilt with fabric from light to dark made it very difficult. The very dark and very light fabrics were fine. It was those in between that gave me trouble.
• I tried not to over FMQ this quilt since I didn't want it to be too stiff. I think that it turned out well.

Related Links: 

• Neutral lap quilt
• August Finishes, August 30, 2017
• Planning Post, July 4, 2017
• Progress, June 30, 2017
• April Finished, April 30, 2017
• Progress and Fun, April 11, 2017

Project Details

Neutral Lap Quilt - Take 5 Loves Coffee Milk
48" x 48"
Based on the Take 5 Loves Coffee Milk pattern in the More Take 5 Quilts by Kathy Brown.
Materials: cotton
Techniques: piecing, FMQ






As I mentioned, this quilt is part of my goals for the 3rd Quarter Finish-A-Long. I also linked up my second placemat (Classy and Scrappy 2) and my Hexie Table Topper. The other two projects didn't get worked on at all. Oh well, sew many projects and so little time!

I will also be linking this post to many linking parties. Let's see what others are doing! Can I get a Whoop Whoop? Finished or Not Friday, Monday Making, Main Crush Monday, Midweek Makers, Linky Tuesday, Let's Bee Social, Needle & Thread Thursday, Free Motion Mavericks,