Clouds of stars

 Hi all, and happy weekend! I have finished my grades for the semester, so now my brain is mush, but I feel pretty good. I taught a course called Death and Dying this semester, and I cannot tell you how happy I am that that is finished! I won't have to think about it again for three years or so, plus I can now fully enjoy the sparkly lights and happy songs. It's something like 60 degrees outside, so the effect is a little muted, but I am loving it anyway.

Today I have the last finish of 2021 to show off. Can you believe this year is ending? Me either! I thought it would never get out of here, but now it can't wait to leave. And here is what it's wrapping up in at the end:

 

 

It's the Ohio Star quilt that I finally quilted up into something nice and cozy. I love how old fashioned it looks, but still pretty contemporary. 

I made this quilt as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge at soscrappy. I know it doesn't look like a rainbow quilt, but it really is! I made three blocks a month in the color of the month, and then put them together earlier this year. Since this is a scrap quilt, I kind of threw everything in there for the setting squares and it turned out. That always surprises me.

I quilted this myself with a pantograph called Cotton, which is really curvy and easy to follow, and gives the quilt a great texture. I'm getting much better at the long arming thing and I want to try some more complex pantos. The ones I have look so good, though, and this one went pretty fast. 

I used a green wide print for the backing, and then dithered for a while about the binding. I wanted to use the border fabric as a binding, but there were only a few scraps left, so I auditioned several choices, mostly blue and green. They all clashed terribly. I happened on the red and it looked pretty good to me. A surprise, but a good one!

I think my mom would like this quilt, so I'm going to offer it to her, and if she doesn't want it, it's going to live here for a while. What a tragedy that would be, right?

And that's a wrap for 2021! We have a lot of merry-making to do, and no one has cleaned this place in a while, so maybe I'll start on that. And I think some people may be expecting Christmas cookies and other goodies, too, so there's another thing to do. In fact, that sounds yummier than cleaning!

Thanks for coming along on the ride that was 2021, and I hope all of you have a lovely, restful, and peaceful holiday, whichever one you celebrate. It's been a rough year, so everybody take care of yourselves, and come back for the year end round up post next week.

Happy holidays!

Sharing at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Finished or not Friday, Brag About Your Beauties, Patchwork and Applique, Oh, Scrap, and soscrappy for RSC 21.