I've finished five Friendship Star comfort quilts for my recently deceased granddaughter Kayla's friends.
Each finishes at 60 x 72 and each consists of thirty 12 inch Friendship Star blocks.
I made three quilts in a Friendship Star Variation because that is how many I figured I could make with a black solid I had on hand. I guess I estimated correctly because after I finished 90 blocks for these three quilts I had about a 3 inch wonky piece left over.
I also used up most of my yellow chunks of fabric making blocks for three quilts.
I also used up a little pile of rainbow colored fabrics I had set aside for a donation quilt. Then I used up most of my multicolor peace sign fabrics I've had for ages. And I found a few other rainbow-ish looking fabrics and scraps to use.
Then I made two Friendship Star quilts alternating dark and colorful backgrounds. I had ordered a couple of bolts of fabric that took forever to get here and I originally intended to make Friendship Stars in just two fabrics (black with rainbow print and orange confetti looking batik) reversed in alternate blocks.
While I was waiting for the bolts to arrive I continued on with my rainbow fabrics and used it for the background and a piece of black with rainbow polka dots for the Stars. I had that black with polka dots set aside as a donation quilt backing.
Well, then my bolts of fabric arrived and gosh...I knew it had peace signs on it but I didn't remember that it had what looked like a marijuana leaf on it in rainbow colors. I guess I can play the old lady card and pretend I thought it was a beautiful autumn leaf. Or I can put a disclaimer with the quilt that says just because the fabric has a marijuana leaf on it doesn't mean that this grandma condones the use of it.
Well, anyway, I went ahead and used it as the background and the orange batik for the Stars in alternate blocks. Out of rainbow fabrics I used a few batik fabrics I had for the dark star backgrounds in the second quilt of this variety.
I have a partial set of blocks made for the sixth and final Friendship Stars quilt but I wanted to get these five quilts out to her friends as soon as possible. The sixth quilt is for my other granddaughter Isabelle who is five weeks older than Kayla and Kayla's best friend. I'm thinking I will not only give Isabelle a Friendship Star quilt but finish Kayla's high school graduation quilt for her too. I had just dug out Kayla's graduation quilt UFO to work on in December. Isabelle's graduation quilt has been in the hope chest for quite some time but I never got around to finishing Kayla's.
I used a third bolt of fabric I ordered for the backings. I had enough for four quilts and I used the orange batik as a backing for the fifth quilt and for the binding on all of the quilts. I quilted all of them on my DSM with spirals in a variegated thread called Sunset.
Labeled.
And I made a few pocket hugs to go with the quilts. I've made some of these in the past and also have called them pocket prayer quilts.
28 comments:
The friendship star quilts are a wonderful remembrance of your grandaughter to bless her friend! hugs xo
These are SO amazing!! They are stunning, and made with such love. Her friends will forever be comforted by them. And I hope you had some comfort in the making of them. They are BEAUTIFUL!!! and the labels.... I love it all
Great big Hugs to you My friend!
Such a beautiful tribute will provide much comfort. Sending you a virtual hug as you reach out with hugs for Kayla's sake.
Beautiful quilts Cathy. I'm sure many a tear is sewn into them along with your love.
They are beautiful, Cathy - I hope Kayla's friends love them like they loved her.
Kayla would be so pleased by what you are doing - caring for her friends when she cannot. YOU are a treasure!!!
Did you sleep or eat at all? A tremendous burst of quilts. I know they will do what they were created for. You thought of every detail. Amazing.
5 terrific remembrance quilts, just wonderful.
The Friendship Stars quilts are fantastic, and they will be a wonderful reminder of Kayla for her friends. What a great gift for each of them!
The Friendship Star quilts will be ready to give Kayla's friends a quilty hug whenever they need it. I hope the creation of these quilts brought some comfort to you as well. Wishing you peace.
Pat
Your beautiful quilts will always remind Kayla's friends what a bright star she was. I hope making these has helped ease the burden of her loss.
What wonderful remembrances for Kayla's friends. I'm sure they will all be loved. I hope you were comforted and feeling Kayla's love while making them. Hugs, Doris
Those quilts couldn't have turned out any better if the fabric you ordered had arrived sooner, Cathy!! What a sweet and loving gesture for Kayla's friends!
These are beautiful quilts. What a wonderful gift to Kayla's for remembrance. Thank you for sharing.
My goodness, what lovely quilts you have sewn in such a short time, I love the pocket hugs - what a lovely idea. I think Kayla’s friends will be overwhelmed when you gift those so special quilts. God bless you all.
What amazing memory quilts, and super thoughtful! Love them...even the one with the sixties vibe! :)
Wow! The quilts are wonderful on so many levels; friendship stars filled with meaning, bright colors and dark backgrounds like seeing real stars in a night sky, and the physical comfort of these beautiful quilts. You did a beautiful job!!
Wow - you made these super fast! They came out beautiful and will be perfect to comfort her friends and remember her by. The pocket quilts and labels are the finishing touch and so thoughtful. I hope they brought you some comfort in sewing them.
Trying really hard not to cry over this beautiful post of these quilts. You are amazing and apparently have not slept in weeks! I know Kayla is so proud of you taking care of the friends she left behind. I know this did you good as well. The labels & pocket quilts are awesome.
Wishing you peace & strength.
❤️❤️❤️your love quilted into these quilts do well to honor your granddaughter. Sending thoughts and prayers.
These quilts are a beautiful tribute to Kayla and will comfort her friends as well as you. I laughed about the marijuana leaves. I once bought some flame fabric to make a dragon quilt for my kindergarten son. On getting home, I found that sexy woman outline that Playboy uses in the center of each flame. And the name of the fabric (which I hadn't read) was something like Hot Mama. Ouch.
What a wonderful way to keep Kayla alive for her friends. I am sure these will be cherished. What a gift of love.
This is just so lovely. How precious that you can honor your grand-daughter in this way. Her friends will find comfort, I'm sure, and her cousin especially feel loved.
The quilts are beautiful. You have mentioned how thoughtful and caring Kayla was with her friends. It seems to me she got that sweetness from you. I keep you in my prayers.
Oh, Cathy!! What an AMAZING gift of comfort for Kayla’s friends! I am sure that they will love having them and think of her often. Your added detail touches are simply amazing… I think you thought of everything. How very kind and generous of you. Hugs to YOU!!
This is an amazing accomplishment and I'm sure Kayla would be so touched by your efforts! I laughed out loud about the peace fabric and admired it right away... with or without the leaves!
I love what you wrote on the labels. So meaningful for her friends. Your quilts are lovely & what's a little pot leaf in the background? No worries. They may not even notice! You did a great thing for them & I hope the sewing & giving helped to heal your heart just a little.
You gave her friends a "home hug" and a "take along hug" so Kayla can always be with them. Kayla is smiling down at you grandma for continuing to spread her love!
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