QBAM...

is the acronym I've given my latest finished project, which stands for

 "Quilt it. Bind it. And. Move on".  ;o)

 

 

 

You many recognize this as being the star block I made from using strips leftover from making a chevron table runner.  Rather than take any more time debating over what the finish of this experiment should be, I took my hubby's advice to "QBAM". LOL

At first glance, I considered simply stitching in the ditch to outline the diamonds that make this scrappy star.  It didn't seem to have much "zing".  Then I came up with using the design I quilted for my Pop Star Quilt.

What can I say?  I loved free motion quilting this design on squares for that quilt and wanted to see how well it would translate to the diamond shape patches in this project.  Turns out, it added just the right amount of "zing" to play up those scrappy diamonds.  To keep the focus on the star, I echo quilted narrow straight lines onto the background areas, leaving the corners unstitched to mimic the  diamond patchwork pieces.

Love that the star looks to be covered in flowers on the back of the mini quilt.

 I love that the quilting looks much fancier than you would think simple intersecting wavy lines could be.  Better yet, I love any design that is continuous.  I started and ended in the same spot on the star, making working in my threads that much easier.  Love that!

Quilted with variegated thread in a range of light pink to dark magenta gives the stitching some contrast with the patchwork.

Although the quilting design may not be as distinguishable on the front of the mini quilt (due to the variegated thread and the variety of prints), it really stands out on the reverse side.  The main difference between stitching this design onto diamonds rather than squares is evident in the center of the block.  There you can see a flower comprised of six ellipses (or petals ;o).

See the 6 petal flower in the center?

 

If you haven't tried free motion quilting this design yet, I highly recommend giving it a go.  Otherwise, you're missing out on some FMQ fun!

 

The QBAM mini finishes at 27" across (from point to point) and is 23.5" across from straight edge to edge.  A good size for a wall hanging or a table topper, I think.  

 

 Now it's time to get going on some other finishes!   My hubby's suggestion served me well... I may have to hang this mini in my sewing room as a reminder that sometimes you just need to ...

 

 "Quilt it. Bind it. And. Move on".  ;o)