Christmas Quilts

Grab your favorite drink and maybe a leftover piece of Christmas pie and let me show you what I've been up to and why I've been so quiet.  I finished piecing the Texas Star quilt (sorry no picture yet), but decided after it was finished that my DH probably wouldn't like it.  Not the design, the colors, although it is a beautiful quilt.  I will quilt it and keep it for myself, and no I didn't plan it that way.

I did finish the quilt for my oldest son and for once he loved it.

The pattern is Bleachers, an Angela Walters design for Empty Bobbins.

This is the lap size.  My DH saw this and ask for one, which is very unusual.

I bought his fabric but was unable to make it because something else came up, more about that a little later.  So my DH received fabric in a box. LOL

My son holding his new couch quilt.

He has a red couch (yes, red leather couch)

so I thought black, grey and red would look great in his new apartment. 

One more because I just love it.

Secret, I bought Little Black Dress fabric to make me one.

Thanks Angela for a great design.

You might want to grab another drink, because this might be a long story

Now for that something else that came up...

 I received a email from a lady, around Thanksgiving, asking if I could make

10 quilts, yes 10 quilts, for her.  Her FIL passed away very suddenly this year and she wanted quilts made from his clothing for his children, wife, mother and sister.  She wanted them as Christmas presents.  Okay did your mouth drop like mine did.  My first reaction was...

WHAT??? You want them when??  I was trying so hard this year to do my shopping early so I wouldn't have so much stress.  Relax and enjoy family time.  But (there's alway a but) as I went to sleep that night I dreamed about those quilts (I say dream but I know it was message from someone above).  I emailed her back and told her I would attempt it but I didn't know how many I could finish but I would do my best.  I knew I had to use a pretty simple pattern, so I choose Amanda Jean's Fair and Square pattern. 

 I had 6 pieced, enough for the children, and I decided to quilt those before I pieced the others.  I had told her I would only be able to quilt them with pantos because of the time issue.  Well something happened when I went to sleep that night, yep you guessed it, I had another awaking and knew how they should be quilted.

Forgive me now because I think there are going to be a lot of pictures to follow.  I love how they turned out. 

    

This man was a husband, a son, a brother, a father and a grandfather.

I wanted these quilts to reflect that, since these were memory quilts made from his clothing.

 I quilted the words "son", "brother", "husband",

"father", "grandfather" in the borders. One has feathers, another I used pebbles and swirls, another had a motif.  The quilting on the bone fabric doesn't show up very well but it did look good.  I think the sun has forgotten to shine in Tennessee so no outside pictures.

I love how they all turned out.  The one I was working on was my favorite until I worked on the next one and then that one became my favorite.

Each one has his birth year and the year of his death.

I have so many more pictures, I'll show more in my next post. I had to make them in three different background colors.

Just one more of the whole quilt.

How did I do?  I was only able to finish 3, I was disappointed I didn't finish all of them, but I thought it was worth the extra quilting.  She was surprised and happy with them and understood why I couldn't finish all of them.  I will get back on them right after Christmas.

As one of my Christmas presents I get to go on a Retreat this weekend.  My very first and I am so excited.  It is actually a 4 day retreat but I have to work on Monday, so I will go for 2 days.

Thank you for visiting with me and I hope you enjoyed your drink and pie.

See you next year.

Linking up with Sarah at http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/

and AmandaJean at http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/

Thanks AmandaJean for a great pattern.