Made with love, for my love.

This week I finished a very special quilt. 
I finally completed the quilt I started a year ago for my husband...

 

the ManDarin quilt!

 

The colour orange is his favourite and until I started making this quilt, I barely had an orange fabric in my stash.  Knowing how much he would appreciate his own quilt to wrap up in when he's working at his desk in the evenings, I embarked upon gathering an array of orange fabrics.

My husband has supported my love of sewing and creating with fabric going waaaaaaay back to when we were first dating in college.  He not only would drive me to local fabric stores, he would shop with me.  He still doesn't mind doing this.  Always encouraging my creativity and cheering me on.  He completely "gets" my love of fabric and sewing. Is it any wonder why I love this man? ;o)

Now after giving you a glimpse of what a wonderful man I married, don't read anything into the block design I chose to make his quilt. Okay? ;o)

I used Elizabeth Hartman's Crazy 9-Patch block tutorial to make the ManDarin quilt.  From the beginning, my husband knew I was making this quilt for him and I would ask for his preferences.  He wanted those crazy 9 patch blocks all tossed in together with nothing else to break them up. The odd hit of brown thrown in to keep your eye moving over the quilt was a fun addition.

 I sewed block after block.  I think I got a bit carried away!  I wanted his quilt to be large enough to wrap him up - mission accomplished.  In fact, I sewed more than enough for the quilt top, so the extras found their way onto the backing.

Personally, I love the back a wee bit more than the front (but don't tell him ;o).  I like the blocks framed by the solid.  Maybe it's because it gives the eye more of a resting place?

Grab your sunglasses!  This photo was taken outside - but not in direct sunlight.  The quilt is so bright that bees were attracted and kept buzzing about as I tried to photograph it. LOL

Still, I couldn't be happier with the finished results.
Since the quilt is quite busy with so much colour and print, I opted for a meander stitch for the quilting.  I figured  about all my quilting would contribute would be some texture.




Before washing...

I think I was right!  Compare for yourself, the before (above) and after (below) of the texture my quilting provided once I laundered the quilt.



after washing!

I used a light orange Aurifil thread in 50wt and fell in love all over again with this thread for FMQ.  My machine seems to prefer it, too.  No annoying tension issues with this thread, which makes for an enjoyable quilting experience.

Fresh from the dryer, I presented my hubby with his quilt and the look on his face was the icing on the cake.  This is why I quilt.

Whew.  This happy finish means I've accomplished another work in progress that has been on my
 FAL list for the second quarter of 2013.




I'm linking  my ManDarin quilt to Amanda Jean's Finish it up Friday!