Challenge quilt reveal!

I'm not sure if it's allergies, or a cold. Regardless, I've been kind of out of it the last few days. And now I feel as if I'm falling behind. Eep!

On Thursday, I went to the monthly guild meeting where we had the big challenge quilt reveal. It was fun seeing what people got and how they finished them, particularly the UFO I turned in!

Before:

After:

The woman who completed my UFO used the pattern I included as her guide for finishing it. She completed all the applique in the center, and then added the outer blue border. She used her own backing fabric and then turned it to the front to create the bound edge, which was kind of cool to see (I've not seen very many quilts finished this way). I also liked the quilting. She stippled most of the background and then did some fun free-motion flowers in the baskets, and a vine in the border. I talked to her after the meeting, and found out she was actually very new to machine quilting, so this quilt was really challenging for her. I'm just so happy that my old, forgotten UFO has a new, happy, and finished life!

I also met the woman whose UFO I completed. In fact, I was actually standing right in front of her, commenting to my friend, "I just don't know what she was thinking with those chenille bits..." When the woman sitting in front of us interrupted and said, "Well, it was my project, so let me tell you!"

Apparently, she signed up for a class on making the popular Yellow Brick Road quilt. When she went to the first class, the instructor gave everyone a bag of these chenille pieces and told them to use them with coordinating cottons to make their quilts. She was about as thrilled with the chenille as I was, and she didn't even bother going back for the second class. And so, those chenille bits ended up as her UFO. It was a pretty funny story the way she told it.

There was voting on the quilts in three categories, including Ugly Duckling (best transformation), Best Adaptation (taking what was completed and then doing something different), and also Best Overall. Of course, we don't get to find out the winners until the next meeting. Should be exciting!