(I revised this post — added better photos, and added a couple of additional thoughts to the end.  Sue)

Last weekend Judy Laquidara at www.PatchworkTimes.com  offered up one of her own designs for an easy-to-make quilt as a Labor Day Challenge, and part of the challenge was to make it from stash (actually, I think she specified something ugly from your stash). I’ve had this gold/red/black floral for ages.  I bought it on the cheap (about $2/yard) thinking I would use it for a stack & whack quilt.  Now that I’ve done a few stack & whacks, I know this fabric is too repetitious, so it’s been patiently waiting to be rediscovered.  (I have a lot of this fabric, so I’m thinking I’ll use it for the backing also.)  I’m really pleased with how it turned out:

 I made the last border wider, so this quilt ended up being almost 72 x 90.  This quilt was a lot of fun to do.  The blocks go together very quickly.  And I think the best thing is that I used some fabric from 2001!!!  Thank you, Judy, for another fun project.  There’s always something fun going on at Judy’s site!  She has a Star BOM project going on, and there’s a Quiltathon AND a Quilt For An Hour quilt coming up this month.  (Okay, I don’t work for Judy, I just really like her stuff!  And she’s so generous to share with us.)

I LOVE making quilts, and I LOVE sharing them as gifts.  I don’t make award-winning showstoppers.  I make quilts made to go on a bed or sofa or crib and be loved and used.  Utility quilts.  We also have a large extended family, and I’ve made a tradition of giving the newlyweds, babes, and septuagenarians a quilt.  Since I also quilt for other people, sometimes I am scrambling to get something done for our special family members, and I have given away quilts that I originally made to keep (thinking I can always make another one), because I didn’t have anything else ready — or even close to ready!

So, here’s my plan!  I’m going to be jumping on the bandwagon for as many of Judy’s on-line quilt offerings as I can possibly do (or other bloggers who generously share patterns and mysteries).  I’ll get the top completed, as this one is, and make up the binding (put it in a bag, and attach it to the quilt top!!!  We all know why…)  Then when a special occasion arises, it’s just a matter of whipping it onto the old Gammill and getting it done.  A day’s work.  I can handle that.  One flaw I can already see with this approach is I pretty much love everything I make.  Not because they’re fabulous, but I think it’s because they’re sort of like children (or husbands).  Even if they’re not perfect, they’re YOURS!

Sue