The Applique Is Complete!!!!

I started this quilt in a Baltimore Album class in Roswell, Georgia in 1993.  It was a block of the month that took just a little longer to complete than originally planned.  Actually I had the 12 core blocks done within about 18 months.  I even had the flower basket center done about 6 months after that.

It was at that point that I realized that I had cut the center basket a little toooooooooo small for the blocks to work around.  I also knew that it would take me as long to complete the borders as it had to complete the various blocks. 

Off to the closet for years and years - waiting for Prince Charming to awaken the quilt with a fresh new look.  I have taken the blocks out several times over the years to consider options but it was last fall when I saw a setting at the Des Moines' American Quilter's Society show that I knew how to add some size to the center block and not have it look forced.

With a clear plan in mind and a willingness to take on the applique project again, I set about completing the Baltimore Album quilt.  The dog tooth border around the center basket added the size I needed and didn't take very long to complete.  I had a block that needed to be re-worked and Pat Cox helped me resolve that problem and the balance of the various shaped blocks.  Working out the borders and setting up the pattern was went fairly quickly.  Finding the right fabric for the "fans" at the center of the borders took more time than expected, but eventually paid off.

Completing the dog tooth border around the perimeter of the quilt was a bigger project than anticipated.  Suddenly there were a lot of inches of border to applique into place.

As of today, all of the borders are on.  Now I have to get the back ready, pull out the basting table (Steve loves it when I set it up in the family room for several days) and sandwich the quilt top.  I plan to hand quilt this in a simple grid with some extra texture around the basket.  We will see how long this project will take.