Reversible Quilt making progress

Update on the progress of the reversible quilt mentioned a week or ten days ago: I've finished the 6" squares which will be the main part of the quilt. But I've decided I want to make another set of squares to become a border, possibly using triangles for a saw-tooth look. Anyway, I couldn't wait to see how it would go together. But first I read Sharon Pederson's book carefully, espcially the discussion of the binding for the squares.

Sharon wrote of auditioning fabrics for the binding. Studying her quilts I see she used wonderful taste; her bindings all add design and color beautifully. I pulled out a bunch of fabrics and contemplated them with the squares -- no design wall, just my small work space. The selvage side presented special problems, I didn't want to use the darker fabric from the other side because it's too different, but I wanted something that would connect the two. Or alternately I looked at various black/white prints. No, no, no. Finally I went to our wonderful City Quilter shop and studied fabrics a while and purchased the aqua print, after nearly choosing 3 other ones. [The choices were so many it's hard not to become paralyzed.] I had great hesitation but it's so pretty that if I got home and decided it was all wrong, I'd find a use eventually.

Then there was this dark batik that I've had a while and really didn't like very much, multicolors on purple. It seemed all wrong and yet when I laid it out, it seemed fine In fact, I now like it very much. And, as I've been sewing I like the aqua too, it may become triangles on the border of the selvage side.

So here they are together. Not too bad. I only have four rows together so far. Everything takes longer than you think it will, of course. I spent a lot of time this afternoon and that's how far I've got. The binding is tricky -- not really difficult but requires care and attention.

And here's a sample of how it's coming along. I love that it's quilted, so even though putting it together is going to take more time than I have tomorrow -- and then there'll still be the border blocks to sew and add ... we're looking at September now. When it's done, it will be done. No need to think about how to quilt it.

At this point, I like this quilt. I can tell that as it gets bigger it will be a little bit stiff and will fight me in my cramped sewing space. Ah, well, the dubious joys of being an apartment dweller.