Bento Box Quilt

I began this quilt last year while in Kentucky.  It was the local guild's mystery quilt.  The instructions called for a light neutral for the prominent fabric but I decided to use a gray instead.  We completed two of the blocks at the guild meeting and I did the remainder in KY and back home in Arizona.  The pattern is called Bento Box.   If I were to make this pattern again, I don't think I would add the border.  Since this is for a young lady, I felt that the flowered border added a feminine touch.

The top had been waiting for quilting and was perfect for one of my first longarm quilting projects with Flora.  Flora is so talented.  I just hope I can master some of her wonderful features.

This quilt features an "edge to edge" design from my Pro Stitcher software.  It has stars and swirls.  Below you can see close-ups of the quilting stitches.

It isn't perfect but I'm learning as I go.  I had issues with the tension but overall I'm pleased with the results. I have classes one Saturday a month at Sew for the Heart in Scottsdale.  I have learned so much from fellow longarm quilters. 

The quilt will be a graduation gift for a young lady that's graduating in June.  Now I need to add the gray binding. 

A Mystery Quilt Solved

I'm finally at home for a few months.  Time for blogging (I hope).  We have been busy since March.  First a cruise through the Panama Canal (gone almost 3 weeks).  Next we were home for a few weeks and then spent five weeks in Kentucky.  We were home for a week and then it was off to Seattle and a cruise to Alaska with our son and his family.  I'll try to post photos later in the summer.

While in Kentucky I attended a quilt retreat and met the chair of their local quilt guild (Martha).  She invited me to their May meeting.  They were going to be making a mystery quilt.  I got the instructions and went shopping for my fabric.  Most were using fabric strips from their stash but my stash was in Arizona.  Once I had my fabric for the strips, I decided on gray as the background fabric.   It was difficult to choose fabric not knowing how the finished quilt was going to look.  But I think I did a pretty good job of selecting the fabrics.  The pattern is called Bento Box.

We did two blocks at the meeting under the direction of Denise.  I brought it home and finished it a few weeks ago.  I really like it and it will become a graduation quilt when I get it quilted.