Foster Quilt Mom

Or, an apt subtitle would be "One Very Special Quilt."

The back story:  The brother-in-law of one of the ladies at our church is a missionary in Liberia.  Over time he met a lady named Georgina, who makes her living, like many African women, by sewing.  Georgina made all her items completely by hand, having no sewing machine.  Our ladies group raised enough money to allow the purchase of a sewing machine for Georgina a couple years ago.  Early this year, Georgina presented her missionary friend with this gorgeous queen size quilt, completely hand appliqued and hand quilted, that she had made for the ladies group of our church.
We were amazed at this gorgeous gift of gratitude, and while postponing any decision of the quilt's final disposition, we agreed that we would take turns keeping the quilt in our respective homes for a few months.  And so, yesterday this lovely came to reside on the guest bed at our home. 
I absolutely love how Georgina softly gathered her appliques, allowing them to puff out when she echo quilted around each applique.  I've tried to show the marvelous texture she achieved and her wonderful hand quilted design that gives this quilt such definition.  She used a light weight but thick batting which serves to accentuate her quilting even more.
Here are some close-ups of the blocks:

Gorgeous, isn't it?
On another note, I finished baby Zachary's quilt late last evening, and will post some photos soon!
Happy Halloween for those who celebrate - we're lucky enough to live in a remote area where it stays quiet and peaceful, although we do have five feral cats, all jet black, who visit the outdoor kitty feeding station every evening!