Mini-dahlia done!

Woohoo! I got one of my very own quilts done this weekend. I even sewed on the binding and put on a sleeve. All I have left is the hand-stitching (which I've even started!). I've had the center of this top done since 2007. I got the borders put on in May. And now, finally, at the end of August '09, I'm going to get the bloody thing finished. I'm still up in the air as to whether I'm going to sell this one or keep it. I really like how the quilting turned out (except the border-blech).
Here's the whole thing (well, almost, my wonky photography is what it is):
Here's a large shot of the corner quilting, which you can vaguely see in the shot of the whole thing:
And a close-up of my corner/dahlia edge motif:

I did it using Superior Metallic antique silver thread and I really like the texture it added. I didn't do a fill around the feather because I didn't want to detract from the feathers and I liked the texture just the way they were.

My border on the other hand was a different story. I chose to do a long, wrap-around feather with fronds going in opposite directions. It didn't work out as planned :( Oh well, you win some, you lose some. I used 100 weight silk for the border and centers and was intrigued at how it melted away.
My favorite thing about quilting for myself is that when something doesn't look nice, if I don't want to, I don't have to rip it! I found ultimately that I didn't see the border, so it definitely wasn't worth tearing out :) Hooray for not ripping! I also don't worry about my minor mistakes like I have to when quilting for others.

Anyway, I'm happy with it and already onto my next quilt.

Happy quilting!