Bloggers' Quilt Festival-- Tanuki Stripe

It wasn't any fun to miss out on the Bloggers' Quilt Festival last year-- I was making great quilts but needed to keep them under wraps, but now I'm happy to share!

This is my Tanuki Stripe quilt, one of the patterns available in my book.

I love this quilt.  I made it as a wedding present for my friends Amy & Jake, but since I got it back from the publisher I haven't had a chance to give it to them.  Maybe soon (though I almost want to keep it)?
You must forgive me for the less-than-glamorous cellphone camera photos.  The photography in the book is really lovely and I've gotten used to seeing my quilts either in person or in the beautiful clear and stylishly composed book photos.  I'm almost ashamed to post such low-quality pictures, but then I remember that I'm a quilter, not a photographer.  This is a real quilt, with blood, sweat, tears and wrinkles.  Made with love for a friend who is a part of so many of my most favorite memories.  I hope you'll understand.

The quilt measures 55" x 70".  There's a big bold strip of hand pieced English paper piecing flanked by panels of quiet neutrals (pieced by machine).   The EPP part is made of 4-piece units: two squares and two 60 degree diamonds.  This unit has so much design potential!  I want to play around with it some more if I get some free time.
I quilted it with wavy lines on my Janome and bound it in an off-white polka dot.  The backing fabric was a UFO that wasn't going anywhere and I'm happy to have finally found a place for it.

I'm entering this in the "Throw Quilts" category (I wish it could go in the "home machine quilted" category, but my photos don't do it justice).  I'm glad I could participate in the Bloggers' Quilt Festival.  Have you entered a quilt yet?

 (p.s. if you try out this pattern, I'd love to see it!)