Improv quilt done for Project Linus (thanks Pat Bravo!)

I had my sister help me with the full photos after we took our run- so you get a peek of downtown Portland!
In case you missed the explanatory post it is here, but the gist is I made this quilt to be given to Project Linus after Pat Bravo posted on her blog that she had too many scraps and needed quilt makers to use them up. I thought it was an excellent chance to use some Art Gallery fabrics (I never had before) and to help do some good. (Readers may know I am a sucker for charity quilts.)

Fast forward to late December, when I decided to make my Christmas gifts, so this got put on the back burner. Another factor was tension issues with my thread and/or my machine. Either way, I fixed them and finished quilting and binding over 2 days! Whew, I can be productive when I put my head down- and when my husband does bedtime with our toddler for me. Heh.

 My mission was to make the quilt only with the scraps I received- and I did pretty well, but I did have to use some white on the backing and a stash sheet for my binding. The pieces I needed were too large, and I only had 1" strips left.

 This was my first time trying zig zag stitch for finishing the binding. I love how it is more forgiving, but I did get a bit off track here...full disclosure, process pledge, you know. But I can live with one spot.

 These improv blocks were a blast to put together, and I tried not to let myself care about the color combos too much either, except to follow some rudimentary cool/warm scheme for each. Malka Dubrawsky's method of improv piecing made this a blast. And wild. And colorful.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think about it- too crazy? I know it is a taste thing, so I am just curious- I promise I won't get my feelings hurt!

Quilt stats:
Finished size: 53" by 47"
Pattern: "Nate's Quilt" from Fresh Quilting by Malka Dubrawsky (I mostly followed it!)
Fabric:
Top: All Art Gallery scraps from many different lines, sent by Pat Bravo for the purpose
Binding: A stash sheet from Serena and Lily
Backing: More Art Gallery scraps and some stash Kona snow
Quilted: on my Brother in straight lines on the diagonal with variegated King Tut thread

Sew Modern Monday post- hope this counts!

Okay, so Sew Modern Monday at Canoe Ridge Creations is for modern sewing finishes- a finished quilt top counts right? I hope so, because I am posting- so comment to warn me if it doesn't! I am itching to share though!
This is the improv quilt I am making from Art Gallery fabric scraps sent by Pat Bravo for Project Linus quilts. These fabrics were a blast to work with, and it was a great challenge for me to sew a project using just these scraps. So great a challenge in fact that I failed just a bit. I had to use some Kona snow yardage from my stash to make up the quilt backing- the remaining scraps Ms. Bravo sent were too skinny to make it up. Cheater cheater me. But hey, they were my rules that I broke.
Picture disclaimer- I am having a wicked hard time with my camera, so these are not lovely, but they do convey the idea. However, the pics of the sewn together pieces are terrible, so I guess you have to take my word for it? The last picture is terrible, but proof they are done...

See? The last shows it all taped up to guide my not-usually-very-straight line quilting. So far...not so good. Lots of tension issues. I seem to have these worst with my King Tut thread- anyone else? Maybe I need a new machine...

One last bit- a rearrangement of my to be done Little Apples string quilt. I will need to add borders too.

Linking up...