My 6th Quilt: April Showers/May Flowers II

I was so pleased with Aprils Showers May Flowers I that I immediately started a second. I used the same set of pre-cuts, and the same disappearing nine patch pattern, but this time I added a border from some lager pre-cuts (picked up on clearance at the same time).

The additional border brought the quilt to 38 by 38.

It also meant I needed a little additional fabric for the back. A few leftover scraps from making the patches, and one of those larger pre-cuts came to the rescue. For being an unintentional back plan, I think it adds a little more whimsy to the back.

This is my first time attempting a label. I thought I'd give my new-to-me machine's letter stitching a try - although I've yet to run it through the wash and to be honest, I'm not sure the stitching will hold up to any amount of use and washing.

When it came to the quilting, I tried something different. I'm sure there's a name for it, but dash if I know! It's kind of like a spiral, but rectangular to match the quilt shape. It's fairly organic as I had no real plan beyond that and didn't take the time to draw any guide lines. I just started in the middle and wandered my way around to the edges. It took a little longer than I expected (nearly three episodes of Land Girls), and many of the corners have a bit more pull/pucker than what I wanted to see. If this had still been basted and awaiting binding (instead of quick turned) I suspect it would have had a little less puckering, but I probably should have been doing the corners a little differently (a single stitch at an angle instead of ninety-degree turns).

It's very difficult to see in the photos, probably due to the business of the fabrics - but it looks pretty good if I do say so myself.

Oh, here's a comparison close up that might show a little more of the quilting. April Showers May Flowers I on the left, II on the right.

So now what?

I'm not quite sure. I think one of the two might be joining the Welcome Baby C package. The Wonky Stacked Coin batting is very thin and light-weight and I want Baby C to have something heavier for colder weather as well. Both April Showers/May Flowers quilts are heavier and warmer - but they're also both smaller...

For the moment though, I'm just enjoying staring at them both - finally finished and as happy as I could have wanted. And honestly, even though I made two with the thought I could then give one away, I'm not sure I can bring myself to do it. April was hard, but looking at these reminds me that good things can come out of challenging times. Which is exactly what I wanted. But maybe they're a little too personal for giving away.