The plan began with my sister-in-law's oldest son, Sam. I've known Sam all his life and watched him grow into a fine young man. He was my first nephew. Sam is kind to others, very intelligent, has an easy going personality and is an interesting person to just sit and chat with. As a young boy growing up Sam always seemed to make wise choices in his life. And when he met Alex and chose to have her join the family, it was one of the wisest choices he ever made in my opinion. Sam and Alex were meant for each other.
So for their wedding present, I decided to make Sam and Alex a quilt. I knew that whatever I did for Sam I would also do for his two brothers, but that was down the road. For right now I needed to think about this quilt....the quilt I considered my first!!!
I wanted to select a pattern that matched Sam's and Alex's interests. They both loved the outdoors, and like the rest of the family, their hearts were in the Adirondacks. So I decided to choose a design with a "woodsy" theme. I found just such a pattern in a book called Bears in the Woods by Eleanor Burns and published by Quilt in a Day Publications. This particular quilt was designed by Sue Bouchard. The overall look was perfect and the individual blocks seemed easy enough. However it was not going to be a quilt I could do in a day!!
I needed: 12 log cabin blocks
20 evergreen tree blocks
4 bear claw blocks
and enough flying geese strips to circle the perimeter of the quilt.
The finished quilt would measure 84" x 84".
The trees were the biggest challenge. I had to re-do a few of those blocks until I got the hang of it. They were done with an assortment of green fabric.
The log cabin blocks were pieced with a variety of medium and dark blues and an assortment of tone-on-tone whites. The center was a rich dark red. I had once read somewhere that a red center in a log cabin block was a symbol for hearth/heart of a home. How perfect for a young couple starting a home together.
The bear claws were my favorite blocks. I had never done them before and was amazed with how well they turned out. I think part of my satisfaction was because I loved the fabrics I chose. I have used the black/gold print several times since.
The flying geese blocks would encircle the quilt on all sides using the same blues from the log cabin blocks.
I experimented with the placement of the log cabin blocks as you can tell from the second and fourth pictures. Each arrangement gave the quilt a different look. I decided on the one I liked best and began to sew the blocks together. For the backing fabric I selected a neutral color.
I sent the quilt off to the long arm quilter to be put together. For this task I hired Linda Bennett as my quilter. I had seen her work in quilts displayed at the Lake Farm Park Quilt Show and liked the look of the quilts she had done. But putting my masterpiece in the hands of another person was a little scary. Letting it out of my sight was taking a big risk as far as I was concerned. When the quilt came back to me (beautifully quilted!) I bound it in the same rich red that was in the center of the log cabin and bear claw blocks.
The final touch was to "sign" my quilt and present it to the bride and groom. Over the years I have discovered that the best feeling in the world is presenting that finished project to someone you love. It gives a whole new meaning to Acts 20:35 "it is more blessed to give than to receive".
Before I wrapped my quilt for presenting I sat and stared at it for the longest time. I amazed myself and was proud of myself. I had started and finished my first quilt. Wouldn't Aunt Tillie be proud of me.
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