Quilt Diva - Birthday Present

Many Several years ago my Mum gave me an unfinished quilt for my birthday. I had asked for the quilt because I loved the design and I didn't know how to applique at the time. She gave it to me with the bottom panel unattached and no details completed, ie. hairband, eyes... 

Now we do have a history of giving unfinished gifts in our family. I have given the materials in a box for a family gift then never gotten around to completing the project. I used to paint so I have also been known to give unwrapped gifts that were still wet!

I put the quilt away in a box with my other unfinished projects and forgot about it. Just recently a quilt shop near me was offering the Quilt Diva as a class and it made me remember I had an unfinished quilt of my own at home. I got it out and started working on it. 

Here is the quilt with the bottom panel attached
and machine quilted with metallic threads. You
can see the black I have chosen for the binding.

I had a lot of fun using buttons and iron on decals from my stash of extras. I went through 8 needles and worked on 3 different machines trying to quilt the background with metallic threads. I was glad when it was finally finished. I started on my Mega Quilter but it didn't work and I was too unfamiliar with the machine so I moved onto the Designer 1 that my Mum gave me when she bought a Designer 11. I finally used my old Lily to complete the quilt. i should have started on the Lily to begin with it is my most reliable machine. (To think I was going to sell it when I got the Designer 1!!!) 

I added jewels to her glasses, star beads for earrings
and drew on her face and hairband.

I put iron on decals on her suitcase and
a zipper pull from an old pencil case.

My favourite part is the backing I chose out of my stash. The colours go perfectly with the colours of the quilt. All I have to do now is make a label to go on the back. One UFO down, too many to count to go!!!!

I had just enough of this fabric to do the back of the quilt.