"Hibernation" - A Finished Quilt

This quilt became something more special with every stitch, and I was proud to gift it to my dad for Christmas/Hanukkah this year (so it stays in the family, right?). Also, he loves purple, he had admired the quilt as I was making it, and he hadn't had a quilt to call his own yet. It was serendipity!

 

"Hibernation" is named for both the modernized bear paw block in the center and the hope that my dad would sleep with it in his living room chair. He's already chosen it over the other quilts in the room, so that's a start. :)

 Photo: Becca of Sew Me A Song

I started with a pile of Loominous fat quarters from Sew Me A Song, my longtime blog sponsor. It's woven cotton dotted here and there with metallic by my favorite fabric designer, Anna Maria Horner. The drape and softness of this fabric is hard to pass up (though it does fray and stretch easily, much more so than quilting cotton - the only downsides).

 

Washed and crinkly!

Until I saw this bear paw block by @hoosiertoni, I had no idea what I was going to make. I figured out my own measurements and took out the middle strips to create a different bear paw block. Then, I started creating modern maples (because I love them so). Finally, I pieced together improvised wonky piano keys out of the strippy scraps I had left. I actually still have a few bits of Loominous left over for another project.

 

I also used some Kaffe Fasset gray and purple shot cotton, plus some bits in the maples that I had laying around. Shot cotton is a similar sheen and softness to the woven cotton of Loominous.

Once the top was pieced, I was pleased. However, the quilting had me stuck - except that I wanted it to come from the middle. My husband Mike, ever the quilt genius, suggested quilting straight lines along the four triangles that emerge naturally. I sighed because I knew it would be monotonous, but super effective (this is starting to sound like a Pokemon battle).

While quilting with my walking foot, I didn't mark anything and I kept the spaces between lines both large and small - whatever I felt like at the moment. I used Aurifil #2600 (Dove Gray), which I use to quilt almost everything now. It's the perfect shade of gray and it both blends and pops on the fabric. I love it!

The backing was simply two large pieces of Big Love in Primary and Big Love in Candy, my two favorite prints from Loominous. These were also purchased from Sew Me A Song (thank you Becca for having all the fabrics I needed, especially since this line is becoming hard to find!!). I bound the quilt in FreeSpirit's solid Grey quilting cotton (the shot cottons and woven cotton seem to make iffy binding).

I posted my dad's reaction to the quilt on Instagram when he unwrapped it on Christmas morning. He was putting on a bit of a show (he's my goofy dad) but in all seriousness, it's everything and more that a quilter can ask for!

With this quilt and my current ongoing medallion project, I've realized how much I love to create my own designs, usually while flying by the seat of my pants. It's both thrilling and therapeutic.

You can read more about this quilt here, here, and here.

Linking up to Fabric Tuesday, Needle and Thread Thursday, Crazy Mom Quilts