Lavender Chic - It's a Finish!

It's a finish!  Each time I complete a project, I like to reflect on what I've learned:

1.  Just because something looks simple, doesn't always mean it IS.

2.  Some quilt kits are better than others.  Until I got this one home and read the instructions, I didn't realize it wasn't meant to be quilted or bound.  It called for completing it pillow case-style, with no batting.

3.  If you think you still might bind the quilt, don't cut the back to the final size according to the instructions.

4.  Flannel is a lot stretchier than cotton and distorts easily.  It would probably be OK if working with all flannel.  But doesn't work well with cotton.

5.  Chenille and quilts do not go together.  It stretches (a lot!) and leaves fuzz all over.  The nap should be considered when you lay out the quilt.  Fleece is much easier to work with if you want something warm and cuddly.

6.  Machine applique looks pretty, but requires just as much practice and patience as hand applique. 

7.  Do any decorative stitching last - even if you have to stitch-in-the-ditch first, and later stitch over it.  The decorative quilting I did didn't have balanced tension, which caused puckering when I quilted individual squares.

7.  Decorative stitching is a GREAT way to finish a binding - and lightening quick!

Its been a great day for quilting.  Look what it's doing outside:

This is what Spring looks like in Wisconsin!  BTW, I didn't see the cardinal in the tree until I was cropping the picture.  Can you see him?  :)