Modern Maples Quilt, and some cozy flannels...

I know, I know.  It's been forever since I blogged!  It's something I would like to do more often, especially with our house remodel going.  Because who doesn't love a few Before And After photos?

Speaking of before and afters... this quilt could count as one of them.  ;-)

TWO years ago (Oct. 2014) ... I pieced this Modern Maples Quilt.  

(this is the flannel I DID NOT LOVE - bottom left corner of photo)

ONE year ago (Oct. 2015) ... I bought some flannel from JoAnns to use for the back.  But I never LOVED it.  One year later, it was still sitting in my closet... untouched.

I even basted it with the batting and all...  I kept asking myself what it was that was keeping me from finishing it, and I finally realized it was the backing.  I tend to feel guilty if I don't use every last scrap of anything, and this flannel was no exception.  But here's what I decided:  it's better to learn from a mistake, and move on, than use something you don't like and never love the finished product.  I learned a bit of that from Marie Kondo's book: "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up".  It's a very freeing thing.  (You should try it, if you haven't already!)

THIS YEAR (Oct. 2016) ... a sweet friend of mine bought some of this Robert Kaufman Mammoth Flannel, and it was love at first sight for me.  It was exactly the look I was going for: something cozy, that didn't scream "fall".  If there's one thing I'm learning, it's "go with what you love, not what you think others will think is good or something that you perceive to be 'in-style'".  This flannel was it.  It's not that different from my original flannel, but just enough to completely change my heart.  The texture on it is so much better, as are the whites.  They're creamy, without being dull.  

Anyways - you should go take a look at those Mammoth Flannels.  They have a bunch of really good ones!  (Here at Robert Kaufman Fabrics, or Fabric.com, just to name a few.)

Quilting it proved another valuable lesson in *only* using brand new needles to avoid lots of skipped stitches, and lots of frustration.  I talked about it more over on Instagram (I'm @RedRainbootsHandmade over there, too).  This quilt taught me a few good lessons, and it has now been claimed by my family as a favorite.  After all, who can resist cozy flannel when the weather begins to cool?

- Quilt Info -
Modern Maples Quilt Pattern: by Amanda of Hey Porkchop! from the book: Pretty In Patchwork - Holidays.

You can also find the {free} pattern HERE.
Backing is: Mammoth Flannel by Robert Kaufman Fabrics.  I used this one (here) from Fabric.com.