My 8th Quilt: Monkeys and Bananas

Yes: I know my last shared finish was my 5th. I haven't yet revealed my 3rd or 4th. And yes, quilts 6 and 7 are still in progress. I probably should have started numbering them based off the order they were finished in, but I started numbering off when I finished the tops and I'm sticking with it.

My 8th Quilt: "Monkeys and Bananas" for Baby Girl N.

At this point, the quilt is just shy of 36" square. I don't expect any shrinkage in the wash/dry cycles, but surprises do happen. Total work time on the quilt was less than 6 hours from start to finish - certainly my fastest yet. Even better? All the fabric came from my stash and the batting was a bit left over from another baby size blanket.

It's hard to see, but it's backed in two pieces of striped flannel: yellow/white and green/white. I've yet to find a lighting situation where these really show. Actually, that's really true for the whole thing - I know the top tends to either be too dark or too washed out. I'll keep trying for a better picture before I give it away in a couple weeks. 

I'd hoped to bind it in the blue polka dot fabric used around the single monkey portrait frames - but an error in cutting led to a little shortage. Rather than stressing myself, I pulled another piece from the stash. It's nearly impossible to tell in any photo I've taken, but the binding fabric is a blue/aqua with slightly lighter hearts repeating in a semi-organic pattern. Like the scalloped quilting, I think this is a tiny touch that helps bring the top from something I was worried about to something I love.

From the time I began plotting the top design and running math to finishing the last stitch of attaching the binding took about 26 hours. I don't think I've ever finished a sewing or quilting project so quickly - both in actual hours of labor and in the time between beginning and end.

About the time I turned out the lights Friday morning (after completing the top) I realized I could have used some short cuts in my top assembly and save myself some time. Rather than making individual blocks with individual frames I should have thought to make longer blocks with longer frames (at least top and bottom) then cut them to size and added the side trims. When working without a direct pattern or tutorial, I never think of ways to cut corners in time - which is part of why I was so excited to try a Disappearing 9 Patch. I guess I need to keep teaching myself to think about ways to make fewer individual blocks/cuts!