A Quilt for Mama

A few months ago, a friend of mine (a fellow violinist in the orchestra) asked me if I would make a quilt for her mom's birthday coming up this June.   Yes, I said, of course I would.
But this is no ordinary birthday.  Mama (as she is known) is turning 90.  90!!  That's nothing short of remarkable.    I learned that her favorite color is lavender.  And her name, translated from her native Chinese, is Jasmine.   OK.  So we're thinking something soft, feminine, flowery and very special for her quilt.

              
I was intrigued by this pattern.  It's a little sporty-looking in this picture from the magazine, but I liked the diagonal  setting  of the blocks and the 9 patches around the edges.  I felt with a softer color palette it could be a nice opportunity for some really beautiful fabric choices.




Next I checked my fabric stash for lavender.  And here's a funny thing:  there was almost nothing in lavender!  It's funny because it's a color I love and wear frequently.  But I just never quilted with it.

Hoffman Fabrics to the rescue:

          Gorgeous, yes?


You can view the whole "Hanami" collection here.


Luckily, lavender is an "in" color this year!  I used several fabrics from this collection, and mixed in some of my own.

Here's the finished quilt.

That dark green in the 9 patch is what I used for the binding, providing a nice frame for the whole thing.

It's a bold fabric on the back, but I really like it.



This is my first real commissioned quilt.  It's a different experience from what I usually do.  Usually I just make what I feel like making. ( It's a little self-indulgent, now that I think about it.)   So making this quilt for Mama took me a little outside the box of what I usually make.  This quilt is a little softer,more feminine, and more traditional than what I usually do.  But I will say it came out just the way I was hoping it would.

I hope she likes it!