William's I-spy quilt

(originally posted on the main blog 9-5-2013)

big-boy size: 67 x 87 inches
88 different squares
It is done! It is finished! Here is the evolution:
I-spy squares laid out on the design wall. Have to find/create some more.

Calculating the size. I decide that I should use sashing. But what color? Solid blue?

Blue with green corner stones?

Green with blue corner stones?

Black with blue and green corner stones. I had found black fabric in my stash with a quiet (not too bold) pattern of spiders and webs. Thought it was great for a little boy ... but there wasn't enough of it.

But we (Grandpa helped) found lovely fabric with sparkling stars. James thought the corner stones should be random. I am not good with random ... so Grandpa placed them.

I pieced it together and took it, the batting and the backing to Nashville where longarm quilter Linda Gray did a marvelous job quilting it. Helen is a firm believer that each quilt needs its label. All right. I bought fabric markers and William co-operated having his little hand drawn onto the fabric. On another piece I checked washing and ironing it. I think the markers are a cool tool. Helen finished, placed and sewed the label on and started hand-sewing the binding.

I just finished the hand-sewing of the binding today. Yeah! Done! Totally finished! What do you think?
I spy with my little eye: pizza! peanuts! mosquitoes! penguins! a frog playing the cello! cupcakes! basketballs! cows! .......
I can't wait to play with William. Oh yes, I spy with my little eye: trains (his favorite!)

The front!

The back!

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William's Rings Quilt with photos

(Excerpts from a blog posted on the main blog January 2012
"2011 > 2012")

And then I finally finished William's quilt. Here is a picture in night time light.

And this is how it all began in July 2010. Fabric needs to be pre-washed.

The original idea. I couldn't find a pattern of interlocking rings to I had to make it up myself. I wanted to put a picture of somebody in William's immediate family into each ring.

A selection for Mommy Helen to choose from.
I already had talked about some of this in this blog.
The quilt was ready and only needed the pictures. Since the selection of the pictures was very involved, I decided that they would be added after the quilt was finished.

Helen is telling William who all the people are.

William is approving.

Helen is ironing the the pictures on.

Picture taken in day light. The navy blue is not so easily photographed, but just right for a boy. He is supposed to use it.

Another reason for ironing the pictures ... every year one picture of William can be added ... see 2011 with the date on the photo. All Helen has to do is send the picture and I can send the ready photo transfer back to her. When he is old enough, he can choose "the picture of the year". It should be fun.
When the family cuddles up on the sofa under the quilt, they can tell William about Aunts and Uncles, Great-Grandpas and about all the people who love him.



...

And since I had already started with my resolutions for 2012 before the new year (concentrating on finishing already started projects!) I finished knitting William's second pair of woolly tube socks. All I need now is a needle with a big eye to sew the ends away. I am going to make that list today and the socks and William's quilt don't need to be on it. Yeah!

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