Sleeping Porch, Squares

So.

Continuing in our Sleeping Porch Series,

(3 different quilts, made with the same line of fabrics,

Heather Ross' Sleeping Porch,

and some Art Gallery Fabrics' Specktackular, in gold)

next - we have Squares.

This one was a bit of trickster.

When I saw this quilt,

I knew it would be perfect to showcase the unique SP fabrics.

Instead of piecing it the way Shannon did,

(sew a corner onto 4 squares, then join those 4 units into a block)

I thought to myself,

'why not just applique those squares on?

that would be so much faster,

plus - no seams in your beautiful fabrics....'

I am here to tell you 

that it is not faster to applique those squares
on point

onto larger squares,

even if you don't calculate in the time it took 

to prep the squares

(also - do you know how hard it is to press 4 sides and 4 corners

into a perfect square??)

I took to Instagram to see if I was ignorant of some all-important

applique knowledge that would speed up the process,

but no,

the consensus was - it just takes a long time.

I foolishly thought that so many people enjoy this applique thing,

surely it doesn't take forever;

but I was wrong.

Applique takes for-ever.

But look!

Invisible stitches!!

Once I got the darn 2 1/2" squares sewn on,

sewing the 10" squares together into a completed top

was nothing.

Because I had anticipated

 I would have very little labor in this quilt

(cough cough)

I had decided to splurge on a yard and a half 

of the moths on green

for the backing.

I may have seriously underestimated my time,

but y'all,

that backing was a good idea,

because this quilt is positively the most delightful quilt

I've ever felt.

It is so light and airy;

it's the quilt angels dream about, I'm pretty sure.

After lots and lots of practicing,
I free-motion quilted feathers around all of my squares,
and I must say,

I am really quite pleased with how they turned out!

Then I added hand-stitching to all of the appliqued squares
with magenta perle cotton
and inside that,
machine quilted 4-petal flowers

I finished off the quilt
with pink lawn,
machine attached on the back,
and stitched down on the front
with big stitch hand quilting.

At approximately 40x48,
this quilt is perfect for growing with a baby for many years,
and it'd also be a good car quilt,
or even a small lap or wheelchair quilt.
It's beautiful to look at,
but honestly,
this one is far too scrumptious to hang on the wall!

Sleeping Porch Squares is available in my shop
😊
(and 100% of the profits
will go towards buying a sewing machine for Rahab's Rope)