part 2 - Sue Spargo commission - getting to the final stitch

After spending nearly one year making this quilt top, my quilt buddy Amy G. commissioned me to quilt it for her. Its a handmade Sue Spargo creation featuring exquisite hand appliqué and tons of hand embroidery... really beautifully done. My goal was to 'free motion quilt' it without detracting from her incredible hand work. I'm not done yet.... But getting there.

The border was a bit tricky simply because there was no excess fabric to hold on to.

The batting is Wool Dream. I've never used this brand before but the loft is just incredible... that wool batting plus the 3 to 4 layers of wool and cottons in the appliqué made this the thickest quilt I've ever sewn. 

The thread is a beautiful taupe color (Aurifil 2000) on all of the background sections. The color is a perfect match to the gorgeous wool foundation. 

I attached the binding using the preset "S" curve stitch. In the photo below you can see the new binding clips I just purchased. I've seen these in several stores, but never really thought they'd make much difference... but I have to say they are awesome. They grip really tight, have a flat back so they lay down flat and are very easy to take off as you are sewing.

As I shared in part one of this quilt, this was my first commission. I felt pressured to live up to the excellent handwork on this quilt, but I just decided to have fun with it. Too much pressure is not a good thing!

Here's my progress so far. Just need to go back and fill in some of the birds and a few empty spaces on the foundation. 

I am linking up to Freshly Pieced Wednesday WIP. Check out all the great work there.