Summer Sampler 2018: Summer Road Trip

Two years ago I launched my Quilt Block Summer event, and today I am sharing the final quilt that I started as part of that program*: Summer Road Trip.  I ended February with the quilt basted and hit the ground running with it in March.  Then everything fell apart and I just kept going - I didn't even plug my iron in again until March 15th and that was only to make the binding for my Rocket quilt.

So, without further ado, my finished 2018 Summer Sampler quilt!!

Since quilt photography isn't "essential" the picture was just taken in my backyard.  It's not fancy, but it will definitely remind me of the world at the time I finished it.  Each block is custom quilted and my mantra for this quilt was "less is more" - make it pretty without over-doing it.  I'd quilt and quilt until I had about two dozen hanging threads, then take a break and visit with my family and bury them all.  I didn't know how I was going to quilt each block when I started, but I just relaxed and had fun with it as I went along.  I used six different thread colors so everything blends on the top.

For the back, I used this Flour Garden Beryl Pollen print that I loved because it had all my colors except the pink in it.  I centered a pink grid in my sashing to add that color to it!  The blocks all "float" in the pink grid, which is a new technique for me; each block gets no closer than a half inch to the pink foundation lines.

The binding is a subtle scrappy, using up the rest of the navy print and the navy sashing fabric.  I considered using a pink fabric, but ultimately decided that would be too distracting.

And that's the end of my journey!  Thanks for traveling with me!

* I worked on my Harry Potter quilt as part of Quilt Block Summer, but that was actually started earlier and just part of QBS as motivation.  I did make a lot of progress on it and finishing it is definitely one of my 2020 goals!