Fall "nickel" charm quilt

Another UFO almost done!   This little top has lots of history and started back in the fall of 2006!   4 of us went to one of the best quilt retreats I have attended.  Thunder Bay Resort in Michigan.  Sadly, they have since stopped offering the Quilt Retreat.   We had fantastic lodging, a beautiful barn created for our sewing retreat area, vendors, personal spa pampering, good food.   Even a carriage ride with elk viewings to enjoy a gourmet meal made entirely on wood burning stoves.   Part of the activies for the retreat was exchanging fall "nickel" (5") cuts of fabric.  This is the top I made from most of those nickels, plus others from my stash  (121 fall fabrics in the body of the quilt) :

 

 

 

I pieced the top in the fall of 2008, but ended with the small beige border.   I had hoped that another fall nickel swap would come around... but it never did.   I wanted the outer border to be scrappy squares but w/o buying oodles of fabrics to get those 5" squares... it wasn't going to happen.   I went to JoAnn's yesterday and bought some yardage.   I really like it, it has a "scrappy" look to it and compliments the top well I think.   Scheduled to be quilted next week - woohoo!