Red white and blue top done and dilemma w leaders and enders

I finished quilting this cool customer quilt.

I love the design!!

I quilted it in a large swirl with points using a pink thread.

On to #2 for her soon!

Yesterday I finished sewing the left over triangles from the red white and blue blocks into HSTs.

I used them as a leader and enders project.

Then I wanted to come up with an idea for them, should I sew them together to make something else, like a mini quilt? or make them into a border for the existing quilt?

I sketched this in EQ7

With each large block being 12″, I could trim the HSTs to 2″ (2 1/2″ before sewing) and fit 6 on the edge of each block.

it took a while to trim down 88 HSTs!! but worth it, because since it was straight triangles and they were trimmed from the other blocks they weren’t all accurate! and good to trim off those dog ears too!

So last night I sewed the borders and this morning I finished the top.

Do you see my mistakes?? I noticed when I took the picture…..

(combare with the eq file)

I realized too that I had made 16 blocks not just 12, so I sewed those into a square, either I will use them on the back or turn them into a mini quilt.

(will be a cute gift as a combo- one large quilt for toddler time, a mini one for baby or baby car seat)

So now I need another Leaders and Enders project!

I have these batik FQs I won on a blog. And I have this Go! drunkard’s path die I got for Christmas last year and haven’t even tried yet. So I’m deciding what to do.

This is my idea!

My neighbor is moving and doesn’t want to quilt anymore, she gave me two big bags of fabrics a few weeks ago, which I finally sorted! anyways, there’s this swirly purple fabric- though it’s kind of stiff, and I already washed it! don’t know if I like it…

OR I could use these solids as an alternate?

Or solid black? though I don’t have enough black right now. hmm

what should I do??

Yesterday while Solveig had chorus I brought this block with me to work on, and finally finished it!

Just now, I embroidered the eye too.

don’t know if I like it… should I make it bigger? keep it?

the pattern does call for black fabric, but I thought it would be too small.

I could also add felt instead? hmm

can’t decide again