Well You all know that I had sent several of my quilt tops to Jane and Darby. We all own innovas…I think we bought them around the same time..well Jane and I did…Darby came on board a few months later.

Jane and Darby both have MAD quilting SKILLZ ( as my kids would say) and I needed some of my own quilts finished. I wanted to help boost their confidence because quilting for a quilter is difficult. I was amazed many times when LAQ would hire me. It’s intimidating. I wanted these gals to know their worth!  I was willing to pay them (although they wouldn’t accept it at first) to prove to them they had MAD SKILLZ!

But then you know the funny thing is that I love their styles..sometimes it mimiced mine…but most of the time they brought their own flavor to my quilts.  I was intimidated to quilt my own quilts. I have no idea why? Like they needed to be something more than what they were because I have an expectation…but I don’t even know what that expectation is…because I certainly didn’t put that on these gals when I freely handed them over. I fully trusted them to quilt how they wanted and I knew in the end I would love them.   I honestly do love them….Do you know how it is being a mom and always having to cook and make dinner? Then you go to sit down to a meal at someone else’s house and they cook a nice meal for you and do the clean -up…you know that feeling of being taken care of for once..not having to do something …That’s how I felt. It doesn’t matter what that person makes for you to eat…you know it’s going to be good. That is exactly how I felt about these quilts. I knew whatever they quilted would be fabulous..and it is! Now there side of itis that they were trembling with their own unmet expectations…and picking out every flaw..I didn’t ever see a flaw. I am like that in most situations anyway..LOL. Usually if I do see a flaw I love it anyway.

So yesterday was the big day…..2 of my quilts from Jane arrived.

One is from the book called “Material Obsession” The quilt in the book is far different from mine..But they are huge log cabin blocks with a focus fabric next to it.  I added the  side borders because I wanted it a bit wider and I also just loved that fabric So I used it on the back and front. I was honestly stumped as to how to quilt this ….all I could picture was outlining…which is what Jane did on the focus blocks…..but she put feathers on the borders…she called them “Dr. Suess trees” Which I loved..we have a special realtionship with Dr. Suess in this house. He is intertwined in our lives…isn’t he? and then she put a different design in each part of the log cabin blocks..I love that!

So that was the first quilt I pulled out of the box yesterday….it got here a few minutes before I had to take Clarissa to ballet. So she was helping me unload quilts. She looked at the quilt thinking it was a customer quilt and said “Wow that lady must love Amy Butler?” LOL I said well actually this quilt is already quilted it’s my quilt..a friend of mine quilted it for me. She said “Oh That makes sense.” LOL My 8 year old can spot out Amy Butler fabric! Then she looked at me and said “Wait…you had someone quilt for you?” I said..Yeah..let’s go to ballet”…I didn’t want to explain it to her too. Oh bother!

This second quilts is called “Wedding Star” and it was a kit that was gifted to me by my husband’s grandmother. She is a wonderful quilter who pieces and quilts everything by hand..or she did when she was younger. She gave me her hand quilting frame. When my kids leave home I will display it…in the mean time we don’t have room and I don’t want it ruined…but a game of football in my livingroom that happens so often.  So when we spend time at her house we are covered in her quilts. I love that! It’s so comforting. I want to be a grandma like that. It is actually supposed to be a memory quilt but I couldn’t bear to put photos in those open spaces….I thought a quilting motif would be so much better. I was right! Jane did a beautiful job on this quilt..I am so thankful I sent these gals some of my quilts because I need to be inspired too.