2 Nearly Done

Chicago is enjoying spectacular weather. It will be 78 degrees today, making the prospect of sitting under my second quilt and binding it less than appealing.

But I promised myself I would carpe quilt and finish what I'd started in the (eyes scrunched) 1980s.

This quilt, a delightful, completely hand pieced Bear's Paw quilt was made by my grandmother-in-law. She had mad sewing, quilting and cooking skills, which she used to great success during most of her 99 years on this earth. (She also survived the Tri-State tornado in 1925, holding two babies in her lap. She was the force to be reckoned with.)

I've used the quilt top at the base of several Christmas trees through the years. And a few years ago, I had it machine quilted with a red backing. I know Grandma would've chosen bleached muslin (she was a purist), but I thought the red grid was unexpected and jazzy. I hope she is at peace with the unconventional choice.

Taking a page out of my friend Joyce's book, I decided to really walk on the wild side by mixing a new green fabric with the red to create a random binding.

So now, you've seen Naperville Now at her most wild and crazy.

Of course, there was that time in college....