Quilt Completion for Sixth Grandchild

The label and binding are all that remain to complete this quilt. Before binding I attach my two grosgrain ribbon labels diagonally on the back lower quilt corners, one with the quilt name and one with my initials and year; therefore, before I can bind the quilt, I must decide on a name for it. I'd been contemplating several name choices but none quite hit the mark. I name a quilt for its features and not for its recipient. Reviewing the prints in the fabric selections I reflected on my favorites. I liked the little elfin people and bunnies dining around a small table like at a tea party. The small creatures – foxes, hedgehogs, pixies, and more bunnies –  who are happily gathered in the fields amongst the bright red mushrooms seem ready to socialize and have fun. The houses also look so inviting – the one in the upper left with its beckoning banners and in the one in the lower right with its welcoming path. The birds twittering on the telephone line up in the sky seem to be immersed in cheerful conversation. Perhaps they are on a "party line". (Readers too young to know what a party line is – or rather was –  are invited to check out this Wikipedia link on telephony.)

 

All these festive features led me to the name IT'S A PARTY. The name also has a double entendre. Since this is the fourth child in my son's family, I see them all trooping into a restaurant as a family, requesting a table by saying "Party of six, please". So, indeed, "It's a party".

Placed diagonally in the lower corners of the back, the labels were overlapped by the last-minute addition of the quilted corner circles. Seeing how perfectly centered those circles were, I can't help but believe that the quilting gods were smiling on me, rewarding me for avoiding perfection that could have angered them (... unintentionally...). See previous samples from assembling and FMQing this quilt as cited in 2/11/21 post and 2/15/21 post respectively.

On the back of the quilt are those blue-toned blocks that did not play well on the front. In the upper portion of the back, they serve as a sort of home base for those blue foxes frolicking about and add a spark of interest. By default, the blue-toned blocks are quilted in thread from the bobbin which is coral. Though the coral stitching is not as aligned with the block fabric sections as the pale yellow stitching is on the front blocks, the back quartet sports a lot of hearts, assuring baby Irene that she is loved.

It was a beautiful day for photography with blues skies, puffy white clouds, and little enough breeze that a bit of patience paid off in getting photos. There was just enough shadowing to display the quilting to advantage, so I also added some close-up shots in this lighting.

I am glad I was brave enough to try out some new FMQ stitches on IT'S A PARTY. As soon as I've washed it so it crinkles up a bit, I will be sending it off to Irene who is five weeks old now. I like to imagine her being attracted to the pretty colors and running her little fingers along the texture - not quite yet, but very soon. Due to COVID-19, I have not met Irene yet, but I hope to in April. Then it really will be a party.