Full Circle: A Quilty365 Nearly Finished!

What a wonderful journey this! I remember making the very first dots and wondering if I would really be able to keep up with Audrey's Quilty365 Challenge for a full year...

well, yes, I have a (near)finish, and it was fun!
I found I could keep up well if I kept 20 rings (prepared) ahead, then each day I was able to select fabric for the centers. About once per week, I could sit at my machine and finish the circles in a jiffy.

Quilting the panels individually allowed me to plan a larger finish, and I was able to get right to work on the quilting.

To avoid an over-whelming UFO, I even assembled panels as I went.

I also chose the Label-As-You-Go method too.

Here we are nearing the half-way mark, I am definitely smitten.

All that is left is the trimming and binding. I may go with a wide binding but we'll see:)

I wonder if the big layout-error has leapt out at anyone yet? I definitely would have preferred the panels pieced correctly, but I can only shrug and remind myself this quilt is all about character, lol. It will definitely be well-loved come winter.

This was the plan, but somehow, between the floor and the machine, I inverted the panels in that last quarter-panel..

FULL CIRCLE STATS:
Start Date: November 30, 2015
Finish Date: TBA! I finished the last blocks in December 2016.
Completed size: 84" x 94"
Completed weight: 5.5 lbs.
Construction method: Quilt-As-You-Go
Number of Panels: 13
Block construction: 6 minute circles (technique demonstrated in my heart-shaped applique tutorial)
Number & size of blocks: 360 Blocks; finished at 4.5" each
Fabric: From my stash ;)
Backing: Heavy muslin from a bolt I have been hoarding!
Batting: Hobbs Cotton/Poly
Quilting: Utility-stitch (non-uniform, straight-line stitch with walking foot), with heavy quilting thread from Coats & Clark -- another great stash-buster!
Hand-quilting:  Big-Stitch with Perle Cotton #12
Label: I have written directly on the backside of each panel, bits about that month, the fabrics selected and some major events.
Residual-finishes:
A large pillow made with center circles when I was about 3 months in:

More recently, blocks are emerging from my small HST's, sewn as leader's and ender's from the corners that were clipped after each circle sewn..

The center leftovers added a couple hundred or so 1.5" squares to add to my collection.

I keep an ever-growing stash of 1.5", 2", 2.5", 5" squares as well as a bunch of large triangles, and have been inspired recently to begin a medallion with all these "pre-cut scraps". It all began with the friendship stars, but now the center has developed from last month's Aurifil Designer block of the month, designed by Melissa Corry. I added the little pointy ends to her 12" block.

I am working on more Friendship Stars and just staggering around the low volume blocks for now. I'm considering some applique with this one, but we'll see where it all goes!

Thank you so much Audrey, for this wonderful project, I have really been looking forward to this finish-linkup! I'll be sharing with all the other's this week at Quilty Folk!

Everything comes Full Circle,

And every circle has no end,

Endings are where we all begin,

And beginnings where it all ends.

-Circle of Light, by Nivek