Another UFO bites (the dust!)

Here's a photo of this 'monster' quilt!! (Hey, for me it's a monster- I only make couch/lap quilts the biggest!) I, finally, finished my DH t-shirt quilt. It was started some time after 2002, and was a bear to handle. Back in Jan 2008 I wrote that I was working on this thing, but the truth be told, I tried to work on everything, BUT this quilt! I'm sure I avoided the disappointed look in his eyes as I worked on quilt after quilt after quilt for other occasions/charity projects, etc. I had good reasons... Here they are:

1. T-shirt material (I basted each t-shirt front onto a muslin foundation on 10 of them, before I realized I could have reduced the 'stretch' of the jersey material by using fusible interfacing--DUH!... never did one before, so I didn't even think about it)

2. I figured if the blocks were 20" square, I'd only have to make a few (DH couldn't let less than 16 make it into the quilt).

3. I was gonna hand-quilt it to a Ralph Lauren sheet (bright red)-- too dense to push a needle thru, and bled after washing numerous times. Figured this out after hand-quilting three blocks-- ripped them out, then burned the sheet. Ended up piecing the back, thanks to fabric from my Aunt Norma.

4. Didn't want to burden a LAQ with my 'stretchy/bubbly' blocks (only on a few), so I had to suck it up and tie it.

5. Didn't realize how much embroidery thread it takes to do ties every 4"-6" sections. Had to keep running to the fabric store.

6. Didn't realize how heavy this 'monster' was.....

The joke was that it was gonna be great to have it finished to lay over his coffin, or maybe I could put the UFO IN his coffin and be done with it!

I recently took it on our PA vacation in hopes that my mom and I would work on it (we did, one night in a B&B's living room). We made such great progress that it made me want to come home and continue what we'd almost gotten finished. (I kiddingly said to my DH that he might even get it by Father's Day (you should have seen his eyes roll!! LOL) It took me a week after we were home, but I persisted and as of 1:30AM this morning, IT"S DONE!!

Happy Father's Day, Lee ... But it's done and he loves it.... and isn't that why I did it? 5.