My mom fell in love with Dena Designs Love Birds fabric years ago and bought two yards immediately. She wasn’t sure exactly what she was going to do with it but knew it was the start of a bed quilt. Mom continued to buy fabric to coordinate with the Love Birds as she came across it, and then there was a text message – “How much backing fabric is needed for a king-size quilt?”. I laughed and quickly replied with a “9 yards” knowing that she had found the perfect backing fabric for the eventual quilt.
Fast forward to our Washington trip in 2020, looking through a cupboard with Mom we found all the fabric that she had collected without a plan. I let Mom know that we could design something with her fabrics in mind and revisit the fabric when there was more time.
I had designed a quilt to showcase the Love Birds, and eventually, the fabric was mailed to me in 2021. I believe in 2022 I began to fussy cut Love Birds and make decisions for color placement. I added a ring of solid fabric that I pulled from the Love Bird fabric to add a little sparkle to the soft aqua fabrics collected.
Once I started sewing the blocks were very quick to come together. Each finishes as 15″ in the quilt top, and covers a lot of space. I decided to leave the corners non-pieced to give the blocks a little more focus in the quilt top.
And then there were fewer blocks to piece too! It’s so big, that getting a nice photo before quickly shipping it off was tricky.
Each block is unique, and the layout is completely random. But somewhat difficult to achieve. I like to have the ring of solid not next to each other, or the outermost print not touching either. A sewing Saturday in early November was an excellent place to work on this with a couple of friends while puzzling out the blocks. If I were ever to make it again, I would add another print, and make more of an effort to cut the same number of outside rings of each fabric!
My mom was surprised to see the box on her doorstep and didn’t think a quilt could be folded up so small. But it was! I used a bamboo/silk batting that is lightweight, but warm and drapes beautifully. It was quilted with a gentle all-over pattern that doesn’t detract from the lovely Love Birds in the center.
Making this Fussy Love Birds Quilt for Mom was a challenge and an honor. I’m glad to have made it, but also glad that it is finished and off my plate. I pushed the self-inflicted deadline many times over the last couple of years!
Happy New Year!
I hope that you have lots of plans to sew and quilt this year –
Amy
The quilt is amazing. What a gift for your Mom. Your design sense and color choices are perfect for these little birds. Thank you for so openly sharing your knowledge, as well as your process. I have followed you for years now, learned something every blog post/newsletter and have grown in my abilities. Thank you from a 73 yr old seasoned sewer/quilter.
Ellie
Amy, Congratulations for a beautiful quilt lovingly crafted for your mother. It is always wonderful to how you share your design process and journey to completion. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts as you went along. It’s lovely and a wonderful gift to your mom.
What a fabulous surprise for your mom! The quilt is beautiful! Colors are amazing!
It’s so soft and pretty! Will definitely bring a touch of spring to your mom’s winter. A beautiful gift of your shining talent!
What a nice finish for your mom. Thanks for sharing your process. Have a great New Year Amy!
What a brilliant layout, Amy. Your corner treatment is such a good idea. I would not have thought of that. Thank you for sharing your thought process. What a lucky mom!