luvspaper

Venice Rose by Bella Bella quilts and/or Mariner's Star by Judy Niemeyer. Both were challenging but fun and I am glad they are completed.

But probably the hardest was the original one I made using my sister's wedding dress --- It was pretty crazy and took 2+ years from start to finish. But again I loved the challenge and wouldn't back down from pretty much any challenging quilt now.

Quilting Grandma

Mine was a BOM from LQS. It has the State of Michigan and Great Lakes in the middle, surrounded by 12 appliqued pics, typical of Michigan. The Rock Turtle took me 8 hours. Mackinaw Bridge was a challenge, but well worth it. I was a 75th birthday gift for my DH

Macybaby

This one - I had to take quite a bit apart to get it flat. This was also a "begginer" project for me. Saw a picture and thought it would be fun to make. It's suppose to be a cabinet cover, but it's still in the UFO stack.

faykilgore

I made a mariner's compass type quilt with the volcano crater in the center,but it's long finished and gifted. My aviator is part of 9 complex hand appliqued blocks from My Cat's Garden that I started 20 years ago. I have 2 1/2 cats left. I'm so traumatized after each block is finished it gets put away for another several years. If family members would take a break with the new babies, maybe I can get back on it. Of course after that much hand appliqué I'll want to hand quilt it, which should take another 20 years.

mountain deb

Getting started, period!

carolynjo

Believe it or not, mine was a whole cloth quilt that took me over 10 years to finish. I did it in time for GD #1's wedding and swore never again.

weezie

Mine was a French braid quilt ... getting each piece of braid in each row to line up with all the others, horizontally, because of the bias ends of each braid section and the sashing between the braids. I have the book and was a bit NOT following the directions on how to do that. I won, though ... finally! It is a lovely top, if I do say so myself. Each quilt I do is different with new challenges to overcome and things to learn and I wonder if I'll ever learn enough to just zip through piecing a quilt top with no problems. I've never given up and not finished a top. I'm too hard headed to quit.

JenniePenny

I made a personalized quilt for myself with 99 4" blocks. The blocks were all different. Some were paper pieced, some were appliqued, and some were traditionally pieced. Some of the blocks had over 50 pieces and some blocks took seven to eight hours to make. I found blocks in all types of sources, reduced them to 4", and even used clip art to make my own applique templates. Then after all 99 blocks were made, I set nine on point for the center, put a frame around them. Then there was a round of several more on point blocks, which required setting triangles. Then a round of straight-set blocks, with a frame, then a final course of straight-set blocks. When I was putting the final borders on, the darn thing wouldn't lay flat. I took the borders off, squared up the top, made adjustments by taking off some blocks and some of the setting triangles. The quilt was not cooperating. It was summer, and the new neighbor was having weekly brush fires as he cleared some old trees. I seriously was ready to kick this whole entire quilt top across my yard and right into the neighbor's fire! Hundreds of hours of work, tiny, personalized blocks (like a running sneaker, a town hall, and a bride) and agonizing over minute details like the pink colors in a floral basket block. I felt insane over that time period. Anyway, I didn't destroy it -- I was able to stop and re-assess and use math and logic and more patience to finish it. Now, it is my own legacy quilt, my epic achievement, a true beauty! hopefully it will someday belong to a future grandchild or great grandchild.

ptwheels

I started a plus/cross quilt 2 years ago. I used a jelly roll and some of the fabric wasn't 2 1/2" wide to start with. Some may have shrunk when steam pressed and some I just cut wrong, but my rows weren't matching and were bowed. I put it aside. Then I read a hint here on the quilting board about using woven fusible interfacing to add the extra width needed and tried it. I took the whole quilt apart (I had all the pieces sewn together into rows, but only 10 rows sewn together.). I re-measured each piece and ironed-on the interfacing where needed. Then I had to remeasure each piece to cut it to the correct size. The interfacing ended up in the seams and can't be seen. I just finished sewing the top together. What a job! Now I have to add borders. Any ideas?[ATTACH=CONFIG]520759[/ATTACH]

coopah

My challenge was DWR. I had it laser cut as I knew those curves wouldn't be friendly to me. Took forever to get the center part done (I call them 'footballs.') until someone on here mentioned the CurveMaster foot. Didn't want to buy it, as the DWR is for my son and DIL and I only have to make one in my lifetime. Anyway, that foot made the difference...it is in the hand quilting stage. My 87 year old mom is doing that...but it seems to be in a stall pattern right now. Sigh. It will get done one day. If I ask for it back, she would be insulted, plus my handstitching is not at all like hers.
The other one was Bear Paw. I tried it in the mid-70s. Eleanor and Jenny both have patterns for it, so one day, I may try it their way!