Wild About You: A Speedy Sneaky Finish

I can hardly believe that I have already finished my last sneaky sewing quilt. I was just hoping to have it finished by Thanksgiving, and I am totally shocked it is already done.  It feels incredible!  Now my only challenge is waiting until Christmas morning to gift them.  ;)

This last one is for Cheetah, who is getting a little suspicious.  I will admit that in my desire and hurry to get it done I did some sewing while the boys were hanging out with Dad at home.  Cheetah knew he was banned from the craft room.  I tried to throw him off track by telling him that I promised him something fuzzy and not necessarily a quilt.  So now he is thinking about fuzzy pillows. 

It was inspired by his love of... cheetahs. In case you don't remember, his first quilt, "Fuzzy Cheetah," looks like this. It is 42 x 60 inches with minky on the back, and he has been wanting a bigger one for a long time.

I started out with a plan for a simple patchwork quilt like this. 

It would have been cute, but the day before I went to go buy fabric I saw a HST quilt with animal prints made by Cynthia of Quilting is More Fun than Housework.  I immediately changed my mind, and decided to do HST instead.  Thanks, Cynthia! 

Here is my original fabric pull. 

I see a giraffe, leopard, zebra, crocodile, and something tigerish (I think it said Coffee Cat).  Plus a brown minky and Kona Black.  I decided to add the left overs of Leonard's quilt so I could use something more cheetah-like. 

At first I was going to center the diamond, but because I wasn't going to add borders, I wanted to place the diamond off center.  I know Cheetah likes things symmetrical, so back in October I drew a quilt that was off center (when we were coloring together as a family).  I showed him my quilt and asked what he thought.  He really liked it even though it was not perfectly symmetrical.  Sneaky, huh?  That meant I could do it my way.  Although my symmetrical-loving husband is still getting used to it.  :D

Because Cheetah is worse than his younger brothers at leaving his room 3-4 times after he has gone to bed, I basted the quilt in my craft room.  It was a tight fit, but I was able to do it after moving my cutting table. 

I really love the way it turned out.  I quilted it simply by stitching in the ditch on the black. 

I also quilted a plus in the center diamond, because the quilting seemed too far apart.

You can see the quilting better on the back.

I bound it by machine with the Kona Black.  There is a tan label that I didn't take a picture of.  I decided to call it "Wild About You" because it was made with love for him.  I'm sure that once he sees it he will let me know what I should have called it.  Such a critic.  ;)

I really hope this is grown-up enough that it will last him through his teenage years.  (He will officially be a teenager next year--eek!)  What do you think?

Quilt Stats #118
Name: Wild About You
Pattern: HST finishing at 6 inches
Fabric: From my LQS and Kona Black
Amount Used: 7 yards
Batting: Warm and White
Size: About 60 x 72 inches
Date Finished: November 2014
What I Learned:

• Not all minky is as generous with the 60 inches wide.  I had to use the selvage and barely had enough, even though it was sewn with a generous quarter inch seam.  (This is the only one I've done out of eight like that.)
• Frixon pens are awesome for marking the line on HST. 

I feels so free now that these are all done.  And my next project?  Drawstring bags for my boys.  Monkey keeps asking for his dumper quilt, even though I tell him it is for a bag.  He helped me pick out the fabric.  :)  Then I have some non-sneaky Christmas sewing to do. 

XX,
Jasmine

P.S.  I am linking up with Can I Get a Whoop Whoop (I am totally doing the happy dance) and Finish it up Friday. 

P.P.S.  I am also linking up with Jennie of Porch Swing Quilts for her Santa's Sweatshop linky party.