a quilt for hubby

My first quilt finish of 2014 (yes, I know it's November...) was actually a long time in the making. But for a very special man.

A couple years ago in blog-land, a buzz went around about making quilts for our beds.  The idea was that we all had tons of beautiful quilts, but nothing for our beds.  I was immediately inspired, so I went on the hunt.  We were ready for a change and the newly released Parson Gray Curious Nature was the perfect line.  I bought Tula Pink's Cherry Pie pattern, chose my fabrics (focusing on the browns and blues) and off I went.

I fully intended to make the large version of the quilt, which calls for 17-inch blocks.  I started sewing and cutting and...wouldn't you know it, I ran out of fabric.  I had mis-measured or mis-trimmed or something and, quite frankly, it stalled me out.  I didn't want to undo the strips as they are wonky-cut, so I knew getting them back together would be an issue.  I also didn't want to just go buy more fabric, because then all my blocks would have the same fabric on the edges...I wanted to keep the random look.  So, they sat...and sat...and sat.

Fast forward about two years.

I come across the blocks, still unfinished, while setting up my new sewing room.  Still frustrated, and not sure what to do, they hang for another few months.  Then, suddenly, it dawns on me...duh!...cut them down.  Then, an even better idea - make a quilt for hubby, and give it to him for Christmas.

One of my first quilts, my Coffee Quilt, was for him.  I bought the fabric at a quilt show with no plan and almost no experience.  I only had enough for a 48x48 quilt.  Um... hubby is 5'11".  The running joke in our house is how the first quilt I made him is only good for covering his legs.  :)

So, one weekend while he was away with friends, I pulled out the blocks and started measuring.  (I'd also managed to lose the pattern.) Yep...12.5" blocks would work!  I dug out my partially-sewn background strips, played around on my design wall, and then waited.

He was getting ready to leave the country for ten days, so that gave me the perfect chance to work on it without him seeing me. Within a few days of his departure, the top was done.  One seam down the back, and it was done. Then came the hard part...the quilting.

My friend Kelly...an FMQ goddess...taught me to free-motion on my home machine, but I was scared to death.  I've quilted my own quilts before, but always on the long-arm at the local shop, and usually with a good bit of frustration (and even tears!).  I had all these grand schemes in mind...different quilts for different blocks...but then decided to just stick with a simple meander.  Two days and three bobbins later, I was done!

I made a scrappy binding, got it attached and finished turning it the day before he got home.

Washed and dried into crinkly yumminess.  Perfect timing.

When hubby got home, I couldn't stand it.  Maybe because I was so excited at my accomplishment.  My first finished quilt in over two years, and my first free-motioned quilt on my own machine (incidentally, the machine that he bought me).  I was so excited, I just had to show him!  So...I caved.
Couldn't help it.

...He loved it.  :)

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Quilt Stats

Pattern: Cherry Pie by Tula Pink; modified

Size: approx. 78" x 78" 
Quilt Top Fabric: Parson Gray Curious Nature and Westminster Solids
Backing: Parson Gray Curious Nature, "Sand"
Binding: Quilt top scraps

Pieced and Quilted by: Angie Kimel (Viking Sapphire 830)

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