By day three of the new year my plans for January were flipped upside down, and resulted in stitching up this top for a comfort quilt. I didn't mind the change of plans too much, because the quilt will be for a good friend who is recovering from her most recent heart incident. She is just a couple months shy of 86 years young, so it's about time she had a warm colorful quilt to wrap up in.
Here's the completed top. My friend loves birds and so the panel and cornerstones will please her.
A little more about my friend. She and her husband live off-the-grid at the top of a mountain about 15 or so miles from us. Their power comes from a combination of solar panels and a small windmill, their heat is natural gas piped through the woods in some sort of suspended plastic pipe from a neighboring gas well about 1/4 mile away. There are many old gas wells in this area, long ago abandoned by the industry because of low production, but useful for a number of our friends who live in the mountains. Being on the mountain top they have no well, and depend on a cistern to capture rain and snow for their water supply. Access to their lovely home is via a long-abandoned logging road, full of hairpin turns and sharp drop-offs along the side. There are periods of time (prolonged rain or when conditions are icy as they are today) when they are literally stranded on their mountain-top. They were fortunate that when her latest heart episode occurred they were able to travel into town to our local hospital for transport to the city hospital nearly 100 miles away where she had a pacemaker implanted. She is now making a great recovery, an amazing woman of unwavering faith who regularly shares her testimonies with others in our church family.
The backing has been pieced, and I'll plan to layer and pin the quilt at our ministry meeting next week, and hopefully complete the machine quilting and binding in a week or two. Finished top measures 51x70 inches, a nice size for a throw quilt for her chair or sofa.
A closer look. Many scraps from both quilt ministry and my stash were used for the piano key border. I think there are 24 or 25 different fabrics used.
Linking with
Wendy's Peacock Party here. And wishing you all a happy quilting weekend!
15 comments:
Oh my! A 2020 quilt top already. And what a wonderful story too. Your friend will love this I am sure. We have a number of friends who live "off the grid" here in Maine. I love living in the woods but at 86 I think I would be heading closer to town. Kudos to your friend.
Such a lovely finish on this one!! I really like the borders a lot nice work hugs, Julierose P.S. I hope your friend recovers soon...;)))
I just know I would love your friend. She is undoubtedly an amazing woman and must have lots of interesting stories to tell. I love the quilt and I love what you are doing for your friend!
Sounds like an incredible woman of faith! Thank you for sharing her story. I'm sure she will appreciate this lovely quilt you have made for her, featuring her feathered friends. Very thoughtful of you.
I have an 88-year-old neighbor/friend down the road from me, but she has to go to the hospital far too often to life so isolated.
A beautiful quilt for a wonderful friend.
Good for you finishing this lovely quilt up! So interesting hearing about your friend. Love the independent spirit.:)
I love what you did with the bird fabric, I bought cardinal prints just a little while ago, not sure what to do with them yet. Your friend sounds amazing! She will love the quilt. Will put her in my prayers. Jan in MA
This is beautiful and what an interesting and inspiring woman your friend is.
Yes you would love her, and she always has stories of their life together over the years. Always told with a big dose of humor!
A very nice gift for your bird loving friend and January has barely begun! Wow, I've never known anyone who actually lived "off the grid" - that kind of independence and resourcefulness is so impressive! Best wishes for her health (and access to health care when she needs it!) the rest of this winter.
Love what you do with those panels! Such a story too. Living off the grid completely is something I admire but could probably not survive. I am sure she will love this quilt and put it to good use in her recovery time.
That turned out sooooooo pretty. Great way to use the panels. Now you’ve inspired me to try something like that with mine.
This is just wonderful, Pat! Especially the story behind the quilt - the person. I can't imagine living like that as it sounds like a lifestyle similar to a book I recently read - "The Giver of Stars" by Jojo Moyes. Your gift of a quilt is very special, and I admire you for taking the time to make it... just for her.
What a lovely quilt for your dear friend! She must be an amazing woman to live off the grid on that mountain top especially at her age :)
What a special loving quilt"Pat" you have made for your amazing friend. All those stitches and thoughts you did will be a "keepsake" for her of you! Thank you for sharing.
Carolyn
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