Cathedral Windows, Done!

Whew! Just under the deadline, I was able to slide my last few blocks and sampler top into Pellon's Cathedral Window Challenge.

You can read about my first four blocks here and here.
Here are my last five blocks:

Block 5

Block 6

Block 7...this is probably my favorite of the bunch, both the design and the fabrics. 

Block 8...The original pattern called for a thin inner border and a scrappy outer border, but I stayed with a simpler look. It also helped to straighten up the block--LOTS of fabric layers here, so it got a little wonky pretty quickly. I also put this one off to last because it seemed like the most work. It was, but I enjoyed it anyway.

Block 9...definitely the quickest! Just fusible web and pattern pieces. :)

I struggled a bit with how to make these into a top. As a rule, I'm not a huge fan of samplers. I knew I wanted something more than just basic sashing. I hit on the idea of making each block into a square within a square so the blocks appeared to be set on point. I chose red and black for the triangles because some of the blocks read dark and some don't. (I also had trouble choosing a red, because the two fabric collections I used here had very different shades of red in them, so I went with a middle of the road red to match neither!)
The first layout looked like this:

But it just seemed too ordinary.

 (don't mind the bad picture above...it's just from my phone, taken for my reference, as I feel like you get a better view of your layout on a camera/phone/screen. Also notice that block #8, the one I put off, hadn't been done yet.)

So I tried this layout instead and liked it better.

Of course, this meant that I had to sew lots of triangles together rather than using black squares and larger red setting triangles, but that's okay! I think a big part of becoming a better quilter is auditioning design and placement ideas.

Here's another look at the final top. I may ultimately put a scrappy border on it, but I haven't decided yet. I have no idea how to quilt this because some of the blocks have SOOO many layers to them.

It was a fun challenge! You can see other people's blocks and sampler tops here on Flickr.
I'm definitely planning to go back and make another Cathedral Window project (pillows, maybe? at some point), but for now, I'm putting this all aside to get started on some Christmas stockings!

p.s. Speaking of pillows, be sure to check back Wednesday, November 21, as that's my day for the Holiday Lane pillow blog hop through Sew We Quilt and I'll be having a giveaway as well.
p.p.s. Linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict's Can I get a whoop whoop Friday!