Token of My Affection

 Pattern by Kim Diehl, A Simple Whatnots 12 project

Completed top June 13, 2024
Audio books:
The Whispering Dead by Darcy Coates

I have no documentation on making this quilt! I couldn't understand why it took over a month to complete this little quilt because I usually finish a project like this in a week at the most; I had started it on May 9! What happened to interrupt the process? 

Looking over my quilt diary to see where I was in the process, I recalled that 
I had made two 3-yard quilts for two sick people and completed Piece of Cake, another mystery quilt. [Details in another post] This little quilt should have been bigger, with all the interruptions listed below, forgot to put all the units together and didn't find the additional units until after I quilted it! This little gem fits perfectly in my guest room on the nightstand.

During my diary review, I realized I had a LOT going on from mid-June to August. In addition to making the 3-yard quilts, I was trying to finish Piece of Cake, working on multiple BOM's (Linen Cupboard and Civil War Sampler and Butterscotch Baskets), hosting my family visiting from California (which requires my studio become a bedroom), taking a side trip to Cape Cod during the worst week's weather that summer, and ending that trip with Covid.

Star of Wonder

This project was a Mystery Quilt Along by Fat Quarter Shop
Completed top August 7, 2024
Audio Books:
None

I have so much Christmas fabric that I thought I would try out Fat Quarter Shop's free online quilt along using my own fabrics. Although I didn't have any particular fabric line, I tried to give my quilt a similar feel as the original.

Hometown Girl

Pattern by Nancy Rink

Completed top September 25, 2024

Audio Books: 
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
We Speak Through the Mountain by Premee Mohamed
Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee
Invisible by Janes Patterson and David Ellis

This pattern was purchased at Meeting House Fabric in Wales, MA. I also bought the two border fabrics there and used fabrics from my own stash for the blocks. It is bigger than I imagined, so the six yards of backing I had bought is not enough! 

Christmas Pinwheel Stars

Kit by Quiltin’ Tia Quiltworks

Completed top Oct 7, 2024
Audio books:
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

This kit was a surprise gift from a friend who saw me pick it up and put it down several times while shopping at Meeting House Fabric in Wales, MA. I LOVE Christmas quilts and fabrics. One would think after last year's marathon family quilting project (described in an earlier post) that I would be sick of Christmas fabrics. I decided I still have too much fabric so didn't buy it. Well, my sneaky pal bought it secretly while I was in the ladies' room and it showed up inside my door a few days later! 

Tree of Stars

 

Completed top October 25, 2024

Audio books:

            The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

            World of Curiosities by Louise Penny

 

I purchased this kit from Meeting House Fabric in Wales, MA.  This shop is in an old wooden Catholic church. As soon as I walked in the door I felt at home. This is the place to go when looking for reproduction fabrics for those old-looking quilts.

I had a quick glimpse of this quilt on my way out of the shop on my second visit, knowing it would sit in my mind as a "must have" quilt for my 1897 home. When I returned for my third visit during the shop's holiday sale, I picked up the kit and never let go. It so perfectly fits the décor of my home and was very easy to put together. And it's a perfect wall hanging.

 

Family Quilt Giveaway Christmas 2023

It has been a dream of mine for many years to give each family unit a Christmas quilt. This was the year! I began in November 2022 to make nine unique quilts using only fabrics from my holiday fabric stash - 3 bins. (I STILL have three bins!)

I packed each quilt in a decorative box because I wanted each recipient to have a way to store the quilt. I arrived at my SIL's early on Christmas Eve day to deliver the boxes and heaped them in a pile in the middle of the room. Then, after the usual family gift exchange, I had each family unit pick a number and we all gathered in the "quilt gift" room. Each designated family member was to choose a box and hold onto it till all boxes were chosen. When I gave the signal to open the boxes....

CHAOS!

It was WONDERFUL and everything I hoped it would be. 

There were a few exceptions to the randomness of the numbers. My daughter Laura saw the Santa blocks when they were on the design wall and fell in love with them. She told me she wanted whatever that quilt turned out to be, so I gave it to her and the kids.

Nancy, my SIL, collects Santas and displays about 100 of them at Christmas. Because I had leftover Santa blocks, I decided to make a smaller version of Laura's.

My daughter Kim, who lives in California, chose hers while in CT during the summer. She said she had forgotten all about it by the time Christmas came around, so her quilt wound up being a surprise. 

My sister Jean lives in Florida, so I made a special Florida-style Christmas quilt for her.

And I fudged the number-picking to make sure Pearl, my 5-year-old niece, picked the only quilt that was kid-friendly.