Black Eyed Susan quilt

So, I think I've talked about my black eyed susan quilt before........but if not, here is the top before I put outside borders on it, and before it's been sandwiched and quilted.

I have since added the black outside borders but don't have a picture of that yet.

I took a class at a local quilt shop to learn to use the Tin Lizzie, Long Arm quilting machine there.  I signed up to use the machine to quilt this quilt, and I was quite nervous about doing so.  It's not something I've done before.  I used this batik in the quilt that I can't get anymore.  I really didn't want to mess this quilt up.  It's not like I'm going to enter it in a show - it's not well enough done for that.  This is MY quilt.  For me.  It is really only the second quilt I've made. 
Luckily a friend of mine went to the class with me, then kept me company on the day of quilting.  She knew more and remembered more of the class than I did, so together, we struggled thru getting the backing onto the machine, and after doing it incorrectly and having to un-pin everything and start again, we got it together.  We did ok.  Till I ended up sewing the bottom front leader cloth, which we weren't using, caught up in between the batting and the backing..........and I ended up sewing it into my quilt!  Holy cow!!!!!

So we ended up spending at least 45 minutes tearing it out.  Thank God again for Jinnie being there.  We worked together.

I'm pretty happy with the quilting.  I have decided that I am going to applique some butterflies onto the backing - I didn't quilt on the flowers, so on the backing there are large bare spots.  It looks kinda strange so I want to fill those in.  I was able to find a companion batik fabric to the one I used on the top, so I'm going to cut the butteflies out of that and some of the little bit of left over of what I used on the front, and they will be really pretty on the back.  I'm going to iron them on, then hand stitch around them to ensure they stay there.  I just hope that works.

So this is my work in progress.  I'm excited that it's now quilted.  Now, I just need some days at home to get all the excess batting and backing cut off, and get those butterflies cut out and appliqued on, and then sewn.  Then, the binding.  I think I'll cut out the binding from the batik fabric before I start cutting butterflies, to ensure I have enuf! 

Martha