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Bloggers Quilt Festival

Hi all!  Thanks to Loreen Leedy, and the post on her blog, I found out about the Blogger’s Quilt Festival.

Since I, too, won’t be in Chicago for Quilt Festival Spring Edition, I decided I’d love to play too.  The hard part, though, is deciding which quilt.  See, you are supposed to post your favorite quilt, then blog about it.  Is that the most recent quilt (Little Brown Bird, a corner seen here) ?  The one of which I’m most proud (probably Bijagos Warrior) ?  The one that features my kid(s) (two kids/rooms combined into one composite quilt)?  The mystery quilt that is the favorite of the entire family for snuggling under (bright colors, fleece backing and super cuddly even tho the fleece is now old and pilled)? The Queen sized Mariner’s Compass, the second quilt I began but, thanks to living in Africa where it was too hot to sit under the quilt when I started on it, finished ten years later on cool San Juan Island, Wash.?  The answer:

bedtime400

Bedtime, of course, because it is my kids.  Made for the I Remember Mama exhibit, it was juried in to the third year of the exhibit (the last one on the list of accepted quilts…eeek?  did I just barely make it in?).  Karey Bresenhan conceived of the 3-year exhibit as a way to honor her mother, Jewel Patterson, who died several months before the first exhibit.  (Because of the short-notice, there wasn’t enough time to make quilts specifically for the exhibit, so that year  you could enter quilts made at any time related to the theme…the “kimono” quilt that I made for my mom’s 80th Birthday was in that first year.) There was a book, too, so my quilts are in that.

To make this quilt, I dragooned hubby into taking pictures of me sitting in bed reading to each of our kids, one of my favorite pastimes.  In the end, I decided on a composite picture.  The face on the boy is Joshua’s (my oldest), but the child pictured is aged between what my two boys were at the time of the photos.  The room is Eli’s (our youngest), and the quilt on the bed is made from leftover blocks from his “big boy bed quilt.”

The bedstead in that room is one of two my mom bought for my grandparents, and which I remember in their bedroom.  After they died, the maple bedroom suite went to mom and dad, and daddy used it in his room.  When daddy died, Mom sent it to me, and now the fourth generation, in the shape of Eli, is using it.

bedpost-detail

My favorite part of the quilt, though, may be the pajamas.  Both boys had the light blue/navy blue jammies from Hanna Anderson.  As usual for them (and alas this continues to this day), they trashed them.  Ran outside in them.  Played in them.  Skidded on rough stuff in them.  Ripped out the knees. Snagged holes in the legs and elbows.   Ahem.  Clearly I am more into the boys having fun than discipline about what they wear where.  Ahem.  So I took the tatters and rags and made the pajamas on the quilt from the pajamas from real life.  And I can still stroke the cloth and remember when they were little (not so long ago).  Some day, I hope I’ll show the quilt to their (I hope they have) kids and say hey, that was your daddy/uncle and their rooms when they were your age…..

16 Responses to “Bloggers Quilt Festival”

  1. Gari Says:

    Beautiful and meaningful quilt. Thanks for sharing.

  2. Catherine Says:

    What a treasure! I love the Jammies. I love the quilt made from his quilt. What a lovely idea.

  3. Jocelyn Says:

    Sarah Ann, what an amazing quilt! So much detail. I love your story about your boys. They certainly can use things up, can’t they?? Thanks so much for sharing about your quilt.

  4. Debbie Says:

    What a wonderful quilt full of memories. I can see why it is a favorite. Thanks! Debbie

  5. Zonnah Says:

    Very pretty!

  6. Granny Lyn Says:

    Absolutely Awesome! This makes my heart leap, what a wonderful moment to put into art!

  7. Cindy Says:

    What a great quilt. How fun.

  8. The quilt rat Says:

    This quilt speaks………Wonderful!
    Enjoy this most fabulous festival

  9. paula, the quilter Says:

    How coincidental. I, too, posted a photo of a quilt of me and my son. It was one of my 2004 Journal Quilts.

  10. Rhonda Says:

    This is truly a great quilt with plenty of warm memories. Great job!!!!!

  11. Candy Tucker Says:

    Sarah, your bedtime quilt brought back many wonderful memories of reading to my boys at bedtime. It was my favorite time of the day. I was able to do it until they were 13 and 14.
    I am inspired to make a story quilt of my own on this topic. Thanks.
    Candy

  12. Penny G Says:

    The quilt is a wonderful. Your description of the design process and the way it is a composite of things important in your life even though it seems to be a single snapshot is amazing.

  13. Amy @ parkcitygirl Says:

    Precious memories! I love all the special details – thanks for sharing 🙂

  14. Q&B Says:

    What you beautiful quilt. Your attention to detail is incredible. Stunning!

  15. Mary on Lake Pulaski Says:

    What an awesome quilt!

  16. SewCalGal Says:

    What a lovely quilt. You did a great job. Thanks for sharing.

    SewCalGal
    http://www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com