Last week I happened to be over at my parents,’ and my Mom said she had received a notice to go to the post office to pick up a package for me. We were both pretty curious. It’s been awhile since I received mail at my parents’ address.
As soon as we saw the return address on the package, we knew what it was. My Mom’s friend had made me a quilt.
In her wonderful cover note, she called this a nephew quilt. I am a very proud aunt to four fun boys. Two of them are brand new, born just this year.
Here’s some of what she wrote:
“Aunts dream up projects to make with their nephews and have great patience when sharing their tools, skills and time… This quilt is for you to snuggle under with those nephews and love them to bits.”
The design is based on a tabletop quilt by Kay Harmon called Springtime Frolic. My Mom’s friend saw it in the Primitive Quilts magazine this spring and then adjusted the pattern to make it a bit larger.
The workmanship, the piecing and the quilting are absolutely beautiful. The parts I like best are the squiggle quilting (I don’t know the proper term for it) around the outside edge and, of course, the one black sheep.
I’m choosing to associate myself with this guy since I like to be a little bit different and stand out every so often. Besides, I cannot cast one of my nephews as the black sheep.
I feel so honoured that someone took the time to make something by hand specifically for me. Plus, it just seems right that we have a handmade patchwork quilt at the farm… especially one with livestock on it. This is a very special gift. Thank you, Mary.
Anyone else have a homemade quilt at their house? Or are there any quilters out there? I’m a sewer, but I’ve never tackled a quilt, and I admire those who do.
Home on 129 Acres 
It is a really cute quilt. Making quilts are a labour of love. I’ve made quilts for over 30 years.
Aunts are very special. I love watching by daughter with my grandson.
30 years quilting! That’s impressive.
That is one beautiful quilt. You are so lucky. I particularly love the one lone black sheep
Me too!
That is a simply gorgeous quilt! My mom quilts and she has made me a couple and my brother a couple. The funny thing is, she is color-blind! She can see bright colors but dark colors just blend together for her (dark blue, purple, black and gray all look the same). So I get the job of picking out colors for her or at least double-checking what she has picked out to make sure they go together. That is my favorite part of making a quilt! I am too impatient to do all the needle work!
That’s a really neat process you and your Mom have worked out together.
I love your new quilt!! The black sheep is adorable! I have a double wedding ring quilt pieced by my grandmother and aunts. Had the top for years and recently decided it just had to be finished, so I had a quilter finish it for me and it turned out just lovely. Like you, I am a sewer, but do not quilt. Enjoy your wonderful gift!
Double wedding ring is my favourite pattern! What a special heirloom. I’m glad you had it finished.
What a beautiful quilt, Julia! I wonder who the black sheep could be??
I’m trying to spare one of your grandsons that label! 🙂
What a gorgeous gift! It’s just lovely. And a pretty amazing surprise, too!
My sister-in-law is a quilter, and I have inadvertently kept her busy. She made my ex-husband and me a quilt, then when we split up she felt sorry for him not getting the quilt so she made him his own. Then when I remarried, she made us another! I still have the original one on my bed as I love it so much, but the other one, which has a music theme, is going to grace our music room/office when we get it all set up.
Your SIL sounds very generous. How lucky you are to have these special quilts.