The tops were starting to grow exponentially now and after handing off Sharon’s Americana top, I received Nola’s Southwestern themed top. Here is what it looked like when I got it.

Sorry about the fuzzy photo, I did not actually take a picture of this one when I got the top, only when I finished my rows, so I had to grab a screenshot and crop it down.

Anyway, this quilt just screamed Southwestern USA to me, so I remembered seeing a tile pathway type of design while browsing the internet and decided that I would find that and copy it. I began by sewing strips of various widths together, cutting them into various widths and then sewing them all back together again so they would be staggered along what looked like a pathway. You can see from the first photo here what the idea was and you can see the printout I used from the internet as my “guide” to put it all together.

Once I had the sides done, I assembled 15 patch blocks to put in the corners. Finally, the quilt top was in need of one more, slightly hidden, but necessary touch. I took it to my embroidery machine and appliqued a gecko in one of the corner blocks.

You can see above how it all came together. I was actually shocked at how fast and easy this one was for me. Southwest theme is not my cup of tea either, but by this time in the swap, I was prepared for anything. Two more swaps to go and then I would get my block/top back. I could not imagine what they were each adding to it as it changed hands. Wait till you see it at the end of this series. You will be blown away. Until next time…

To be continued —>