The First Three Weeks... Quilty Quarters

This is something I was going to blog about at the end of April but I was so busy painting and grafting on my new Quilty Quarters that I forgot. I found these pictures in my perfect purple camera along with those in the last post. So, better late than never, I'm doing it now.

You will remember that lots of NHS staff were being called back to the front line at the beginning of our Covid 19 battle. I was out on Thursday evenings clapping tearfully with everyone giving our grateful thanks to our warriors.

A close family member to my Lilly, had worked for many years in ICU but had recently taken a career change to a different, calmer department. Obviously she too got called back to her old ICU department. Lilly relayed information to me, about how frightened all the staff were, worried not only for themselves but for everyone they know. It was so much more worrying hearing it from Lilly than from the news bulletins, and they were bad enough to watch... My applause seemed so empty, I was bursting to do something more.. 

If you are a quilter this might make sense to you... I really wanted to make a quilt to gift, to say a proper thank you. Obviously, I would never be able to make a quilt for every NHS member!! So my victim was chosen, I had a focus. and boy did I focus!! 

I asked my Lilly for a few details... floral or wacky? girly or bright? modern or traditional?... it's a bit more tricky when you are making a quilt for someone you feel connected to but you don't actually know much about them!

The answer... Quite girly, floral but loves lots of colours... I think this fit the brief!! 

I had one of my Floral Angie's Six Packs at home, they follow me up from my shop you know!!! and I had a Tilda Charm Pack (a sample of the fabric range) So I framed the 5" squares with a lovely, solid off-white to make them all up to 6"... the rest is a bit obvious

It took a couple of weeks from start to finish.
All day, every day... with nowhere to go, no-one to talk to.
No schedule to keep... lots of PMS (Pleasing My Self) it was quite easy really.

A mixture of Free Motion quilting and Walking Foot Ditch Hopping...

With hearts and loop-itty-loops...

The back.

The label with a little poem waiting to be stitched on.

A quick trip to the Post Office and my work was done. 

I felt so good making the quilt. I had to hope the lovely lady I was sending it to didn't think I was a bit weird for making a quilt... gifting her a home made quilt to say thank you for looking after people I don't know... it does sound strange now... but I loved making it and gifting it... I felt much better for having done it.

The lady received it a few days later, she loved it, she understood my why!... That's all that mattered in the end.