Grab a Tissue!

Before I left for California, I hinted about a quilt I was making and showed a few in-progress photos. I had a story that it was for my girls' room. That was a big decoy. The quilt was for my sister Allison. Here is the story.

My grandmother quilted and gave each grandkid (8 of us) a bed quilt when we graduated from high school. I loved that tradition and decided to give each of my siblings a quilt when they graduated from college. I gave one to my brother in the early 90's. My sister attended college for a few years but she didn't graduate, and I didn't have the ceremony or the event to attach the quilt to. I always felt bad about it, and always wanted to make a special quilt just for her, but there wasn't an event to celebrate, and then I got busy with the kids and I haven't made a bed quilt for a few years.

For many years she lived about 5 hours away in Indiana and we would see each other often. She and I are very close. She worked at a fabric store and in her spare time made her fabulous hats.

Last year, she got the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and stay for awhile with my brother while pursuing a job that would be more fulfilling, and be in an area more condusive to marketing her hats. It was bittersweet for me, seeing her stretch her wings and work toward her dream, yet at the same time, move to a place where I wouldn't see her nearly as often.

She moved during the week of Thanksgiving, 2006. During this past year she has landed an awesome job and also gotten some great press for her hats. I am so proud of her!

This summer, I was paging through an old Rowan Patchwork Book, and I saw this quilt that I had earmarked years ago. Birds in the Air. I don't usually make bed quilts because of their title, but it really struck me as perfect. Now that she is in California, we have to be bird in the air, flying on a plane to see each other. Not to mention, how she is stretching her wings and making me proud! For her year anniversary in California, I would make her this quilt.

Fast forward to last week. I finished it with hours to spare before we left for California, packed it secretly in my carry on (I live with 4 people who can't keep a secret so nobody knew about it except my mom) and the rest is in pictures:

Early in the morning on Thanksgiving day, I set the package on the front porch and told everyone that I had a presentation to make in the front yard. I led her out the front door.

(She has the silly smile on her face because she is wondering what I am up to. She had no idea!)

I gave her a card which was all "I'm so proud of all you have accomplished this past year, etc., etc." She still had no idea! (I'm embarrassed at the weird computer paper and colored tape wrapping job, but I didn't take wrapping paper on the trip and it was difficult to smuggle it in, so I made do.)

She pulls out the quilt, but it is well disguised in a pillowcase. (It took up my entire carry-on, by the way. Knitting was sacrificed.)

She still has no idea what it is. She told me later that at this point, she thought it was a husband. (You know, those big pillows that you took to college to prop yourself up in bed.) She really had no idea.

I think she's starting to get the idea it's a quilt.

It is a quilt! And she loves it!

She starts taking a close look at the fabrics, and pointing out the ones she remembers from our yearly trips to Paducah.

Here comes the crying!
More discussion!
(I'm so happy!)
Must wrap up in the quilt. And start crying again!More hugging and more happy!


Later in the day, Allison and Kenny take the quilt in the backyard to get some full shots.
My brother is a ham.

Close ups.

In the bottom border I quilted the words: To my sister Allison - we will be birds in the air - Love Emily (photo pre-trimming the threads).

Pattern: Birds in the Air, Rowan Patchwork and Quilting Book #4.

Fabrics all from my stash, some new, some old. Cotton batting.

Machine pieced and machine quilted by me.

Size: approx, 85"x 95".