"Jar Quilt" all done! and broken (darning) foot

This was probably the quilt that got me all started on free-motion quilting.  I started it about 4 years ago, shortly after we moved across the country, and I became a stay-at-home mom.  I had used a walking foot to quilt more than a few quilts, but had also discovered long arm quilters, and had been using them to finish up my quilts.  Once we lost my paycheck, I had to become much more frugal about many things, including my sewing and quilting. Because of all the "empty space" around the jars on this quilt, I couldn't really figure out a way to completely finish it with straight lines.  I did all that I could, then tucked it away, safety pins and all for a long time.

I started teaching myself how to free-motion quilt, along with tips and pointers from some on-line friends, and a local quilt store owner, and did a few smaller quilts, but then we moved again.  Our new house is much smaller, and I still have no idea where this will go, so I wasn't in any hurry to finish it.  It was originally going to hang in our old kitchen, but now I guess it'll be a lap quilt.  Maybe I'll sell it or give it to my mom.  I haven't figured out yet...  But it's DONE!!!

The back has a funny story.  I had mentioned to my mom that I was working on this quilt, but was having a hard time finding other fruit and vegetable fabrics for the jars.  Shortly after mentioning that, I got a package in the mail with an assortment of fun fruit and vegetable fabrics!  By then I had already found the rest of the fabrics I used on the front and had made up all of the blocks.  So I used the fabrics she sent me on the back!
Also, thanks to Leah Day, I finally got around to breaking my (darning) foot!  I've been following her "Free Motion Project Blog" for over a year now and am a big fan of hers.  She suggests doing this on her blog, using the exact darning foot that I have.  I finally mustered up the nerve to try it, and LOVE the results!  I also used a few of her designs to quilt this.  It's kind of a hybrid between her "etch-n-sketch", and"curvy key".

I also entered a picture of one of my quilts in The Quilting Gallery Blog's weekly contest.  This week's theme is for 2 colored quilts, and I just happened to have made one for a niece for Christmas.  Winner is determined by public voting just over the week-end, so feel free to head over there and vote!  There are some pretty amazing quilts on display.  Mine is "School of Fish", blue and yellow.  Thanks!