Well, the verdict is in...

...and it probably isn't what you expected.

First off, thanks for all for the input on my border conundrum. When I posted about it, I was leaning toward just using white because I felt the black darkened it up a little too much. However, the black border with turquoise binding got a lot of votes, so I did what I should have done in the first place and pulled out the binding fabric for more auditioning.

I definitely liked the pop of turquoise against the black border. It brightened things up considerably.

Icky inside lighting. Sorry.

When I removed the black, I still liked the brightness without it. And then, Wanda made a point about the advantages of a darker border for baby/toddler quilts, which got the wheels turning again.

I really need to get new light bulbs in the kitchen

So I moved that top four inches up and to the left -- and decided I liked this best of all:

This keeps the quilt bright and happy, and I'll use the black for binding (already cut! hooray!), which will be functional, add more contrast and pull it all together. Three birds, one stone!

For anyone who thinks I flat-out ignored all your suggestions, it was quite the opposite. There were some great points made, and everything I heard was just what I needed to get me thinking differently and headed in the right direction.

Couldn't have done it without you. Thanks!

Border-line insanity...

In order to relieve some of the pressure from having to produce a gajillion quilts in three weeks (at least that's what it feels like), I am doing something I should probably be doing every time I face a deadline:  resorting to the Duffle Bag of Forgotten Tops, that dark place in my house where completed flimsies get abandoned and can only dream of making it to full-on Quiltdom.

This is one of the few lucky ones that got out ((I swear I heard little voices cheering "you have been chosen!" (yes, that's a Toy Story reference) as I returned the bag to the closet)) -- made a few years ago for a friend who put in a request for something girly just after it was completed (doh!), it's totally appropriate for a baby due this May whose gender will be a surprise for the first-time parents. This means I can complete a UFO and save time! Woo-woo!

All but six of the colored squares are Jan Mullen prints and finish at 1" (blocks are 2"), so it wasn't very big. I added the purple and white borders this weekend to make it a little less dizzying and a little larger.  I was going to add a third border of black, but I'm not sure I like it. Binding will be the bright turquoise by Archie's tail.

I've been auditioning it with and without since yesterday, and can't make up my mind. It really shouldn't be this complicated.

This kind of indecision can derail me for days, which I really can't afford at this point, so I need some objective opinions.

Whaddy'all think?

Where did January go?

It seems like I'd just started on my little batik project, and then all the announcements hit:  FIVE babies due this spring/summer and two weddings! Rather than spring into action, I think I was numbed at the prospect of all that sewing and spent the month in denial.

It's going to be a busy few months! I have a couple projects in the planning stages, one with fabric purchased and one in progress, but encountered a snag with it this weekend:  I didn't have enough coordinating prints for the tarragon Kona. But instead of going out to buy more fabric (because I really, truly do not need any more fabric in my house), I got out the PaintStiks and stencils and made some.

Cute, huh? I kind of wish I'd done these for the whole quilt!