Do you ever just sit around and think and dream? 

I do…all the time!!

…usually about my next project, what kind of art am I going to create next?

Guess what I figured out in the last few weeks? It's okay to try things…and keep trying! Sometimes I tend to think I can't do something, so I don't even try!! Well, lately I've tried to put myself in a position to actually TRY…

…and my latest mountain to climb?

—-a king-sized quilt in a week!! 

This week's project quilting challenge was "Wish Upon a Star" – make a quilt with a pieced star and some sort of applique on it!

so I decided last Sunday that I would make a KING SIZED quilt for this challenge.

I picked my fabrics (see first pic in post!); 

I picked my block…the Star Crossed Block (tutorial found here!)

I actually simplified the middle of it so that I could actually finish the quilt in a week!!! 

I decided to make the block 30" finished with four blocks across and three blocks down (12 blocks total) so the quilt would be big enough to fit our bed.  Yes, that means the quilt is going to be HUGE!!!!! (it is huge! eeek!)

I finished all of the blocks by Wednesday…

So on Thursday, I sewed the top together and pin basted it with the batting and backing…

When all else fails, get someone to help!!! (Thanks, Emma!!)

We got it all done by Thursday night, so I could quilt it on Friday…

Here it is in the craft room all ready to quilt…

The kitties wanted to help, too!! 🙂

I got it all set up in the dining room So I could spread it out…

and when I went to choir with the kids in the morning, I had to pull it up off of the floor so the cats wouldn't destroy it…but I knew it would end up a nest!!

…and it did! LOL!!!

I used big stippling free motion quilting! I quilted it by quarters….it took about 6 hours, but I took breaks and made a gourmet dinner…and I was okay…and it looks good!! I added a binding to hand sew on on Saturday…

…which I did on my way to QuiltCon, the Modern Quilt Guild's conference in Austin this past weekend!!

{here's a peek at what I brought home from Quilt Con…}

super fun!!! But back to the quilt…

I actually had to finish the binding when I got home, but it only took about 30 mins after I got home! I also added the applique on the road and embroidered a little love note to Mr Gorgeous, to whom the quilt was given!! 🙂

When I actually finished it last night, I went and put it on Mr Gorgeous, who had just fallen asleep around 10pm…

Isn't he the best???

Here's the finished quilt in daylight…

I'm sooooo excited to have finished and finished well!!! 

Thanks, everyone, so much for the encouragement and sweet words!

Here's what I learned this week:

You can do accomplish what you set out to accomplish with learning, hard work, very good planning and a deadline!!!!!