Sometimes a quilted-to-death cheater panel works

I was looking for a long narrow quilt to bring some summertime joy into the house. I purchased a cheater panel a few months ago and just finished quilting it.

Okay, so I know it's the middle of July....but I must say these colors on my wall are already spreading magic. Why just this morning, I asked my 16-year old son to bring the garbage cans back to the garage and he did it (truthfully, I had to hold his lunch hostage). But, he did it and that sometimes is a miracle in itself....you mother's of teenage boys know what I'm saying. Anyway, I like to quilt cheater panels to death. Here's a close up:

It's great practice and....if I mess up.....it's only a cheater panel. Also, I ordered Quilter's Dream Green batting from connecting threads (http://www.connectingthreads.com/tools/Quilters_Dream_Green_Batting__D20984.html

and tried it in this quilt. The website says: Dream Green is a soft, cozy batting made 100% from recycled plastic bottles! Finished quilt may be machine-washed and dried with little to no shrinkage. This unique eco batting is wrinkle-resistant, and allows you to stitch up to 12” apart! This size keeps seven plastic bottles out of landfills.

I must say that I like it! There was very little distortion with this much quilting. I'm going to try the bamboo batting next.

Finally, to keep up with my fellow quilters (just the ones who include garden pictures on their blogs), I feel I must include the following picture of the Black-Eyed Susans that have just started blooming in my Maryland yard.

Beautiful, aren't they?