I couldn’t be happier with this quilt. Seriously so happy with how it turned out.
Here’s a far away teaser picture…
Let me bring you in for a closer look.
If you have been following along, you might know that I previously had the center done. It’s a Bonnie Hunter pattern from THIS book. The pattern is called Virginia Bound. My daughter and I had gone to a Bonnie Hunter class with the Mississippi Valley Quilters back in 2012 and worked on this quilt while we were there. I ended up making my center area a little larger and then got stuck. The designed border didn’t click with me and I had seen that June of the Mississippi Valley quilters had appliqued her border and I always thought about doing that.
The center portion of the quilt has been done for some time but then it just sat because of my indecision.
I did a little tutorial on how I sewed the blocks in THIS blog post.
This is what the original quilt looked like.
Long ago I had made my daughter Kalissa this quilt…
She got married to Craig and they had three boys. I made each to them a baby quilt…
In order it was Carver’s, Gannon’s and Anders’.
Craig was joking one day and said, well where’s my quilt?
That got me thinking…”Where is Craig’s quilt?” I needed to make him one. Of course I wanted it to be in similar fashion but also his own. That’s when I remembered that center of the Virginia Bound quilt. It was all finished. It was also made from shirt fabrics. Could I just add a border that was similar to the other quilts? YES.
…and that’s how it came to be that this quilt was finally finished.
I did stall out on what to “write” in the border before that I stalled on how to color the border. Did I made it dark colored with white letters or white with dark letters…and what on earth should I do with the space where there was no words?
Finally I decided to just start making Craig’s name. That seemed best with white background and colored letters…then I was back to what color. There isn’t a lot of red in this top…so I went with blue for the letters.
Then I was stuck on what to do with the space that was left after his name was made. I felt like there needed to be some balance. I decided on some more words…but what words? I ended up with “worthy-trusted-loved”.
But then it was another decision. What to do with the space between those words and his name.
The mess was all over the sewing island from Anders’ quilt and I had a few blocks leftover from that. I decided to border them with white and use them up in Craig’s quilt.
I was pleased with the look. So often we border quilts with dark prints…I like this in white…I debated again about the binding. I ended up going with a white stripe…again, I typically end with a dark binding. I didn’t want to box in the quilt so the white seemed like a good option. It was actually striped yardage I had that looks like shirt print. It’s a piece that I found a the thrift store.
Oh…I just love the look of this quilt. I love quilts made from shirts…just love it.
The backing is pieced. I have two thrift store fabrics and a few more orphan blocks.
The white is the same print as the binding.
I did a simple stipple on this. I didn’t want anything to overwhelm the design of this one. A stipple was perfect.
We had to get a Rosie picture…Izzy was off being Izzy.
We had to get a Craig picture too.
Craig was happy to get the quilt…The first thing he said was, “I’m sleeping with it tonight!” HA!!
I’m just all around SUPER happy with this quilt…happy to have a UFO finished. Happy I didn’t put tons of money into it. Happy to have come up with the perfect design to fit the quilt…happy that Craig was happy to get it. It’s really one of the favorite quilts I’ve ever-ever made.
Oh my, wow.
Terrific quilt, for the perfect recipient. Yep, it’s good.
This is a joyous quilt! I love it! So very personal and special! Now everyone has a quilt from you at the Freidman’s!
What a great quilt, hope Craig gets a good nap with it. The photo of he and his family and the quilt is a treasure. Kids never sit still and them tumbling around on his quilt is a good look, a memory forever.
I love the photo also. What a great family picture.
Great post! All the times you’ve shown the amazing center of this quilt I’ve loved it. Now it is finished and perfect. Totally perfect!
I just love Craig’s quilt! It is perfect for him, especially with the descriptive words you used in the border. The orphan blocks fill in the rest of the border and set the center off. Well done!!!
Dear Jo, It’s perfect. Similar to the others but unique also.
Wonderful quilt! I have made several shirt quilts from Bonnie’s patterns. They have turned out to be my kids’ favorite quilts. I can see why you are pleased with it and why Craig loves it.
A super finish! Your creativity shines in this quilt! One can tell that Craig will cherish this quilt. Such a great picture with him and his family.
Sometimes a quilt has to perk for longer than usual…and this one perked to perfection. Having read about how helpful & caring Craig is, you created a masterpiece for him that both looks and says it all. Quilts really can convey so much love. Well done!!!
I love what you did with quilt. It’s gorgeous and everyone is happy. Great job well thought out and finished
I so appreciate the link back to the post where you explained how you managed sewing up the Virginia Bound blocks. I’ve been thinking about making the block was always stopped because it wasn’t clear in Bonnie’s book how to transition from the center to the edges. THANK YOU!!!!
This quilt is awesome! It seems perfect for Craig and the way you describe his thoughtful and helpful nature on the blog. The pic of him with the quilt and his family is so nice. Great job Jo!!
Ever-ever?? Lol that’s so sweet!! I have one of those. I can hardly stand to look at it, I love it so much. Can hardly believe I made it. So I know the feeling!! Blessings to you for being such an awesome mother-in-law!!
Fabulous finish. Happy it is the perfect gift for Craig.
This is one of my favorite Bonnie Hunter patterns. Working on her Moth in the Window using thrifted shirts. Scrappy quilts are my favorites.
Jo, this quilt turned out great….love it so much!!! I think Craig will enjoy it for many years to come!
Thanks for sharing!
Pretty sure there was a reason that top was a UFO for so long. It was waiting for its perfect finish for Craig. Love your thought process. Great job, Jo.
Jo there are no words that can express the love you have for your families. They are each special to you in their own way. You are a person who gives from your heart to both people and animals/ dogs.
I didn’t want to leave anyone out who you have touched.
What a beautiful quilt! I love that it coordinates so perfectly with the rest of the family’s quilts. Jo, you are a wonderful mom, mother-in-law and grandma!
Special quilt for a very special “son.” Well done Jo!!!!
What a Wonderful gift. It’s it’s All His- except I’m sure he won’t mind sharing. Great job!
Wonderful quilt! And a wonderful story to go with it. The border, including the binding, is perfect.
I love how Craig’s quilt turned out. A great finish Jo.
What a beautiful finish and finish! Congratulations to you and Craig!
Dear Jo,
It is Perfect!!! I know Craig loves it!!
Great quilt! Perfect for Craig, especially the words around the edge.
LOVE
Love seeing another use for scrappy blocks. I can see why it’s one of your favorites! Live that it incorporates shirts and thrift store fabric.
It’s perfect! All of your choices seemed to make it just right! It’s also nice when people appreciate what you do for them. I am sure he will cherish it.
It’s a Fabulous quilt! What a great picture you got of all of them with the quilt! A Treasured Memory for sure!
What a nice quilt! I love the center blocks. The border is oh so special with the personalization and the nice small blocks. Lucky Craig!
This is an absolutely wonderful quilt. That border is perfect. I’m not a fan of the original border either. This quilt is so special.
Craig’s quilt is GREAT! He looks so happy to have it. The best part of giving a quilt is seeing the joy on the recipient’s face. Well done Jo!
Awesome quilt– beautiful–and what a wonderful gift for Craig!!! Love it!!
This is a really special quilt. I love it!