Wordy wallhanging: a finish

So long I have been working on my wordy wallhanging.  So many great ideas to put into it.  And long has it languished...

It's been sitting around waiting for the quilting for ages. I even found a fabulous inspiration

Quilt sample seen at Something to Crow About

They look like paisleys!!!  And, since one of the words in the finished project is to be paisley, what better quilting pattern to use?

 When I was last working on it (November 2012) I was thinking about using some scalloping around the edges.  I consulted the internet for directions on how to go about making a scalloped edge; here's what I made use of:

• Video from the Missouri Star Quilt Co. - shows the binding step the best
• Blog post at Quilt n Quilt Things  - uses the process of marking the scallops and sewing the binding along the markings before cutting off the excess
• Blog post from Ludlow Quilt n Sew, in the UK - includes a (shorter) embedded video

Okay, so what actually got me past my I still can't do FMQ so I can't get this finished storyline?  An external deadline!  This has worked so well for me in the past (most notably with getting items done in time for County Fair) that when the President's Challenge was announced for my quilt guild, I knew that could spur me to finish.

Red, white and blue.  Hmm... there appear to be some colors missing.

Minimum 30 by 30 inches.  Again... not there yet.

And then there was the pesky direct object: what exactly are we supposed to be feeling about here?

Bunting!  And faux gingham (pieced from stash fabrics only).  I seriously contemplated changing the final word to

PLAID

I was worried about "being political" by asking how one feels about AMERICA.  But really: (1) it's an election year, so everyone in the U.S. is feeling something about America right now; (2) the challenge was red white & blue--if that doesn't say America, I don't know what does.

And there you have it: a finish!  It's on public display with the rest of the guild entries at a lovely library in Oakland.  Yay for deadlines that push me over my self-imposed blockages!!

What's been holding you back from finishing a project?