Happy National Quilters Day and a finish for St Patrick's day

I finished it, binding and all!!  So happy to have this one done.  It took for ever for me to quilt this cuz I just didn't know what to put in the big empty space.  A couple weeks ago I was going through some old quilt magazines and found this in the August/Sept 2011 issue of The Quilter Magazine.  As soon as I saw this I knew that was what I needed for the center.  Mary Nordeng has some wonderful books out but I wasn't able to find a blog.  Anyway, very inspirational, thanks Mary :)

Mary Nordeng's Circle of Blooms

So here's mine.  I just can't believe I did it.  I was a bit nervous trying to take on such a grand motif and mine is far from perfect but I was pleased as punch with the turn out.  And I only have 1 quilt left on the waiting to be quilted pile - woohoo!!  Oh back to this quilt....I used two layers of batting, Hobbs 80/20 and Hobbs poly down.  Bottom Line thread in bobbin,  Superior Rainbow (Berry delightful) on the colored areas, 2 strands of bottom line in the white areas.  This one is resting comfortably on one of the guest beds.

Fresh off the frame for St Patrick's - Triple Irish Chain

I couldn't  wait to share, just pulled this off the frame.   I'll have better picture of the full quilt and other tidbits tomorrow.  Today just a couple of pictures.

A little quilting today

 I felt like doing some crazy quilting today and that is just what I did.  I finally put the Irish Chain on the frame.  I made this quilt over 10 years ago for my mother in law.  When we moved to the house we live in now, I had just finished the top and then we started construction on the house.  I was in a bin in the basement for over 10 years.  I thought it had gotten thrown out but was pleasantly surprised when my husband found it.  Now my mother in law is no longer with us.  But I think she would have liked it.  She was a sweet heart and I do miss her.  I smile when I see this quilt because I think of her.

The pictures doesn't show very well.  I have not natural light in my quilting room.  But you get the idea....It was a bit of quilting therapy today.