Vintage CQ....Finished for Now

I began this project in June 2009, piecing the center wheelblocks feverishly as a way to cope with a dire illness in the family. (My SIL is fine now, thank God.)

The inspiration for the quilt was this, as you recall:

I had a great time over last summer and fall creating unique flower motifs to go into each wheel block; I made 30 and discarded 2, for 28 total.

Along the way, I pieced one set border blocks surrounding that central wheel block section and then scrapped it as being too loud and contemporary.
The second set of blocks was much more to my liking, and you saw their finished result in my last post.

Then those butterflies flew in with the sunshine!

Now the quilt is assembled and at a good "resting point". Sometimes these very long haul projects need to hibernate awhile, and I sense strongly that that is the case here, as my vision for the final border is not clear (though Maureen Greeson kindly drafted a pattern for the outer border you see in the original quilt.)

So here is where we are now:

First, a few detail shots that show some butterflies and also that black inner border that finally went on to help define the center section.

I repeated the fly stitch in floss between the blocks in the outer border to tie in with all the flystitching in the center section.

I have to admit, it was fun using such wild color combinations, trying at the same time to keep them from getting away from me...sort of like riding at a gallop but pulling on the reins!

And finally, this:

I'm quite happy with it, although I wish the wheelblock piecing was more accurate. But their wonkyness reflects what we as a family were going through at the time I was sewing them. And I can't look at all that flystitching in those blocks without remembering long plane rides to and from the hospital, crying, hoping, and praying.

So we'll let this quilt sleep for awhile and see what it wants when it wakes up, whenever that is!

Meanwhile, there are more garden prints to stitch.....