CQJP Challenge 2015 - Finished Quilt!

Today I am really excited to share with you my CQJP Challenge 2015 finished quilt!!  After I had finished my December block I was keen to get all my blocks assembled into a finished quilt before the end of the year.

I got out all my blocks and arranged and then rearranged them several times.  I was a little uncertain that all the blocks were going to work together in one quilt as some of the blocks are quite different styles but, especially as some of the blocks were slightly different sizes. In the end, I managed to trim them down so that they could be pieced together but, it does mean that some of the embellishments are a bit closer to the edges of their blocks than I would have liked.  I learned a valuable lesson about leaving plenty of seam allowance which, I will definitely be carrying forward to my next crazy quilt!!

I knew that generally crazy quilts are not quilted, so I didn't layer the quilt with batting and backing and then bind it as I would a normal quilt.  Instead, I layered a piece of thin batting with the backing (right side up) and then laid the quilt top (right side down) on top and sewed around the edges leaving an opening for turning.

Before pressing.....

As I was piecing the blocks together I had been really, really careful not to press anything with the iron too hot as I knew there were a lot of sequins and other embellishments which may be damaged by the heat.

After..... see how the sequins are flatter and have lost all
their shine?

However, once I had stitched the top, backing and batting together, I thought it would be safe to turn up the heat a little to press the quilt when I turned it right side out.  That was a big mistake!!  Another lesson learned!! A lot of the sequins had lost all their shape and sparkle.  I ended up replacing the majority of them!! I won't be doing that again in a hurry!!

Pearly button added to the quilt front

The back of the button.... ties the layers together

Despite that, I have managed to get the quilt finished.  I tied the layers together by adding a few pearly buttons to the top here and there and stitching them all the way through to the back.  So here it is, my first ever crazy quilt! 

As I have my family all coming home from their studies and lots of fun activities lined up for over the Christmas period, this will be my last post for a couple of weeks.  I would like to wish you all the most wonderful Christmas whatever you are doing and thank you all for visiting me here!

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