Great Granny Squared #4 - Final Touches

I am finally done quilting my Great Granny Squared table runner.  I just love this little quilt, it's fun, bright and I am very happy with the scrappy look.

The pattern is from Lori Holt's (Bee In My Bonnet) book Great Granny Squared .  I am very tempted to make a set of three quilts to hang side by side, the same way as is featured in one of the pictures.  

I used a very simple swirl design to quilt it.  I was aiming for texture instead of custom, detailed quilting.  I was scared it would distract from the granny squares blocks if I had quilted tiny different designs.  It's the first time I quilted a design at a larger scale and was pleased at how fast it got finished.  Quilting larger designs was a bit tricky on my home sewing machine, as movement is easier (for me) when quilting small designs, but this is a small quilt, so there was very little drag or limitations. 

I am however a bit undecided regarding the binding.  While I was busy making this quilt, I was so sure that the blue with red strawberries would look great, but when I folded it over the edge of the quilt to see what it would look like, I am not entirely sure it works well.  Now I have two choices, and I can't decide which looks best.... any thoughts?

   

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Last few steps before I'm done...

The end is near, I can almost taste it!  I cant fully decide which part of making a quilt is the most fun.  By far, for me free motion quilting is the most enjoyable part, but the most exciting part of making a quilt is adding the finishing touches, hiding those last few missed thread tails, squaring up the quilt and making the binding and sewing it on.

Securing the padded hearts well before top-stitching it down on top the quilt.

Hiding thread tails between the layers.

Trimming the excess batting and backing, squaring it up.

I've used the last remaining strips from the jelly roll to make the binding strips.  I starched it really well, that way I have the best control, and while sewing it on the quilt there's hardly any shifting.

Now all that is left to do, is hand sew the binding to the back of the quilt, and I still need to make a label.  Watch this space for the big reveal... :-)

Happy quilting.