31 days of posts Sewing... opinions wanted

Here is my little Hexie table runner... done! Yea!
Fairly quick to stitch while watching TV this month. Fun to arrange.

I started with one of the little 2.5" square packets, added in some of my Christmas scraps and love how it came out. The poinsettia girl, the snow scenes the holly, the red bird/star are all mine. The smallest scrap can showcase a design!

I basted behind the papers only (not thru) and could easily remove them. Put the quilt on red felt, quilted with gold metallic thread (YLI) and buttonhole stitched around the whole thing outside. I then cut with scissors, about an eighth inch outside the buttonhole stitching, to make a pretty red edge.
Then sewed through the whole thing on certain hexies, little gold beads.

That's the good news... as to my Bargello quilt from 2.5" strips (Bonnie Hunter design)

 
It was okay to arrange the 12" squares...
and I made 12 of them, 3 X 4

I realize I merged a true bargello look (zig zag) and a trip around the world look, and that caused some issue in construction as the blocks wouldn't nest after being turned.

It was okay to sew the blocks together across in sets of 3's




Then the bloom fell off the rose, it was no longer fun, but aggravating and tedious.




As we all know, when you're in this deep you keep going.

Matching all the squares, that no longer nest since you've turned them in the arrangement.
The seams flip. The edges don't quite meet, the whole thing is an exercise in endurance.

This is a close up of the center

I didn't like the way the white blocks came together after it was all stitched so I put a quick heart shape to see if I liked it more.

I do!

They'll need to be appliqued




So now the center is 36.5 X 48.5"

I wanted a throw size, so borders have to be chosen.






Argh, more good fabric on a quilt I don't love...

could I just be tired of it? I don't think so... into the stash I went, and how about the little rose fabric and the swirls?
Or just the red?

or a really old Hoffman celestial print with gold in it

The auditions continue
this may be the back since I do like it, there's enough and I've been saving it for a while. It's pretty busy as a border choice...

Ribbon candy!

What do you all think? Keep going?

I had an art quilt meeting this week, which was lots of fun, and met at a LQS named Holly's Fabric Cabin...

yes please, one of each would be great!
Look at their notion tree

and this beauty

ah, back when a Singer was the gold standard!

 So I purchased a few items for my own gifts...well if Milo can have early presents so can I!

Some cream colored fabric with gold shot through, two little notebooks like the 50's style, a felt ornament kit to put on the January mantle and a cute little bird needle threader (his beak) with thread cutter.

So, I got to use my Christmas stash, and now there is still no room in the drawer... how can that be?

I didn't get around to the icicle beaded ornaments, but still could this week during some down time.
If you feel like giving feedback on the bargello quilt, please comment.
Thanks!

Linking to:
Let's be social Wednesdays 

Midweek makers wednesdays
 Free motion by the River Tuesdays    
 
lovelaughquilt.mondays
keepingitrreal
 slow stitching Sundays
 scrap happy Saturdays
sewcanshe Saturdays
 
off the wall Fridays
can I get a whoop whoop Fridays 
tgiffriday