Buffalo Explorer

I set my OMG or One Monthly Goal to turn a finished top into a finished quilt.  I did it!  And though I got the goal-setting post written in time, I forgot to link it up with Patty at Elm Street Quilts, but I'm still counting it as a win!

The dark blue animal fabric was donated to my local Project Linus chapter several years ago, when it still existed.  I always planned to make this Simple Layer Cake pattern that I've used a few times before, and had in fact cut all the animal fabric into 10" squares.  When I made the top, a neighbor who was also involved with Project Linus had just given me a huge bag of novelty fabric.  I went through it to find something that could go with the animals and found this fabulous gray explore/adventure fabric.  It has words like "Adventure" and "Explore" and "Roam Wild" spelled out using outdoorsy equipment like compasses and hiking boots.  

 
The solid in the sashing is Kona Roasted Pecan.  For the back, I used a cowboy boot print that I think was also donated to Project Linus.  (The other ladies often saved me the novelty prints.)

I tried a new quilting motif, inspired by the book Walk by Jacquie Gering.  First I quilted diagonal lines in one direction at a 3" interval.  Then, instead of a traditional cross-hatch, I did a curvy line that hit the straight line at the same interval.  While my curves are not yet uniform and there is a little more marking involved, I do like this as a variation and will use it again.

This was on my list for my PhD (Projects Half Done) with Quilting Gail.  I have another quilt with the same blue animal print that is ready to be layered and quilted, so there will be two similar quilts for that UFO.  Both will be donated to my guild's current charity project, quilts for kids ages 2-5 in my county who receive meals from Friendship Trays.