Stars like Spaghetti Is Complete (Quilt of Valor post 4)

Trimmed top

Goal number one on my November list was to trim, bind, label and place a sleeve on the Quilt of Valor (QOV)  that I started in August. Marie of Marie's Custom Quilting, finished quilting it in October; but, it was weeks before I attempted standing long enough to trim it. I chose a star pattern that contained gentle loops and a subtle variegated thread in blues. The quilting provides just the right amount of texture.

Last week, I trimmed it. I'm glad that I had practiced standing with baking the previous week. Still I had to take breaks because my newest knee wasn't up to the task. In the end, I persevered. After a couple restarts, I was even able to machine stitch one side of the binding to the quilt.

Last Friday, my intention was to start clue number one on the new Bonnie Hunter mystery, The Old Village. A pool session followed by a PT session made sitting for the remainder of the day impossible. 

View of the quilting pattern

Fortunately, this project was ready for hand stitching so I stitched the binding. I haven't hand stitched a binding in a long time. I watched football games while I stitched. Next I added the sleeve. Finally it was time for the label. This will be going to a veteran. In Oregon, the QOV coordinator embroiders a special label with the recipient's information. I will also place my label so the quilt pattern as well as other pertinent information will be available.

Label

Alycia (AKA Quiltygirl.com) offered the pattern during a free mystery quilt along last winter. If you want to stitch this top, you can purchase the pattern on her Etsy shop. Proceeds of the pattern support her QOV group. I enjoyed making it. I stitched it in August long after the mystery finished; but, LOVED using scraps from my stash to make the top. I did purchase the backing and binding fabric.

I used 13yards of fabric for the project. To date, I have used 13 yards from my stash. This year, I seem to have purchased as I have used. Using as I've purchased is better than purchasing more than I have used; but, this tact doesn't get me closer to actually pairing down my stash! 

I figure it took me 22 hours to get this project to the finish. I spent $248 in materials and the quilting.  I do have a number of projects waiting to be quilted. Perhaps next year, I'll make a bigger effort to finish some of these. I don't count fabric used until the project is totally finished.

Finished front

This is the view from the front! If you want to read the previous posts, check out the links: Beginning post one, in progress post 2 and it's a top post 3. 

Linking to Alycia at Finished or Not Friday and Frédérique at Patchwork and Quilts.