BQF Fall 2012 - compliwhatsits

I love Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festivals.  They provide a fab chance to see some really inspiring work and to read the stories behind them.   2012 saw a return to quilting for me and I've decided to enter the Sparkler into the Fall 2012 Festival as it represents a number of firsts (but particularly because of the last on the list).

• It was the first Quilt-along that I actually started let alone finished!  (even though it took me 6 months longer than the QAL! to complete). 
• It was the first quilt I've finished where I had all the fabric cut out, blocks sewn and trimmed before I started to sew them together. I usually get bored during that bit and crack on before accepting that I need more blocks!
• It was the first quilt I ever hand quilted.  I broke 3 black and gold quilting needles in the process!
• It was the first quilt I ever put a label on, even though the label isn't about me ;)
• It was the first quilt where I didn't use scrappy binding
• When we were young, the family joke was that compliments were so rare they were called compliwhatsits.  This was the first quilt that my dad actually compliwhatsitted me on.  (hugs dad if you're reading this - that meant a lot ;))



organisation was key!



getting excited by how it might look

the final layout

mistakes happen!

first ever attempt at hand quilting

never as wide as you think they will be!

a gift for some lovely french friends

 

 

The Sparkler now resides on a sofa in south west Brittany, France and is looking forward to moving into its new house when it's completed.  They are building a room in it for the wee man, which is nice. :-)

 

Finished quilt measures: around 60" x 72"

Pieced and hand quilted by me

Best category: throw quilt, hand-quilted quilt