Crafting Mystery Challenge: February Idea Swap: Black and White

Do you remember the mystery challenge that we had back in August? A group of bloggers got together and did an idea swap. It was great fun, and his towel is still his favorite! check it out here.

We are doing the Mystery Idea Swap again, and this time I have Black and White from Jonie Brooks of Knot Sew Normal. I gave Amy over at Friends Stitched Together Arabian Nights!

I had so many ideas running in my head. BlackTie wear for the kiddos, chess inspired garments for the kiddos, something formal. But then as I walked into my craft room I saw my chess quilt, unfinished, hanging on my design wall. I had to finish it and this was just the motivation I needed to complete this long running project! I till plan on making chess pieces to use with this!

I used the line Ebony Ginko in the Stonehenge Metallics line by Northcott. I have had a fat quarter bundle of these forever with this exact intention. I even have 1 fat quarter left over!

The binding was one of the fat quarters sewn together to make continuous bias binding. I literally had none left over! This was the tutorial that I used for making bias binding. I have always avoided it because it seemed hard, but it wasn't and I love how it turned out! I mean, Look at those awesome diagonal lines!

And, I even hand stitched the binding on! The final stage and it always kills my hands, but it looks so pretty!

I used a variegated silver and white thread for the quilting. Most of it was straight line quilting except for two little squares that have a queen and a king free-motion quilted. I had a little bit of difficulty with the king because I couldn't find any marking tools to use that I could see...

queen

 Sorry the king is hard to see....   Obviously though, not some of my greatest FMQ work.

king

But, I think it looks kind of cool on the back. A little funky king, but hey, it's modernized right? ;)

Speaking of the back, this is the reason I didn't quilt diagonal lines. It screamed for something else once I had it basted together.

I pieced this back! I am so excited! I almost love it more than the front! It gives me two quilts in one! The gray is Kona Coal and I used leftovers of the cutting from the squares and the border fabric.

Seriously, super excited about the turn out of it!

The quilting is just squares, simple but works.

Bonus, I have one UFO checked off my list for the FAL2015 too! I hope this counts for the challenge. What do you think, did it meet the challenge?

And, Check out the other participants in the series! These lovely blogging ladies are skillful and this fun challenge wouldn't be much without their participation!

Friends Stitched Together – Arabian Nights│Felt with Love Designs – Monochrome │Rebel & Malice – Rockabilly │Berry Bunch – Black & White
Mandy K Designs – Audrey Hepburn│Friends Stitched Together (Tasha) – Great Barrier Reef│Huisje Boompje Boefjes – Broadway│Knot Sew Normal – French Revolution
The Sewing Sparrow – Nature│Made by Sara – Under the Big Top│FABulous Home Sewn – Jane Austen│Lulu & Celeste – Woodstock ’69
Mae & K – 70’s Cartoons│Sew Starly – Mythical Creatures│Pen, Seb & Rox – Paper Airplanes│Create 3.5 – Nursery Rhymes

Round Up

Happy Sewing/crafting ... Creating!