Something New Quilt Top is DONE!

One of the many projects I've been working on over the last few weeks is my Something New Sampler.  I had a couple of friends making and teaching blocks for the sampler so I decided to give it a try.  New skills are always a good thing to learn.

And learn I did.  Some of the techniques weren't new for me--applique, reverse applique, sewing scraps to make new fabric, and while I'd never used Sashiko designs before, I'd done plenty of hand embroidery and hand quilting.  But trapunto, bargello and cathedral windows were all things I'd wanted to try but never quite got around to doing yet.

I knew from the beginning that I wanted to set these modern blocks in a more modern layout.  Amy (the host of the whole blog hop/quilt-along) gave layout ideas throughout the series.  I liked her basket-weave layout suggestion and went with that.  Nevermind that it totally hid the fact that one of my blocks came out a little small and I could hide it that way...

But I don't like square quilts.  Nothing against y'all that do, but if it's not for a baby to play on, I don't want a square quilt.  For me, it's just too much width to wrestle with to get it long enough to cover us up.  So I added top and bottom borders which also adds a more modern aspect to the quilt, I hope.

I'm still considering adding a thin khaki border around the outside to bring that color back in one more time, but I'm undecided...

As for quilting, I want to do something that is new for me and push myself since that's the point of this whole QAL.  I'm thinking something dense in the navy areas to make the blocks pop, especially since many of the blocks can't really be quilted in.  I'll do some quilting in the flat blocks, especially trapunto of course, but some don't need much because of their thickness and design.

Look at my mean old cat posing like this is about her...she thinks it's all about her all the time...geesh

Pebble quilting maybe or close-set straight lines?  Maybe something sharp and geometric?  Nothing has hit me yet and said DO THIS!!

I'm open to suggestions...

I'm linking up this top to Amy's finished projects.  It's been fun to see all of the different takes on these techniques from other participants.  There's so much inspiration out there--I'll never run out of ideas of what to make next.  :)