This is the second quilt I have ever made. Soon after I lost my job, I wanted a creative non-IT outlet to pass the time when I was not job hunting/rewrite resumes/studying/researching new avenues. Plus, I have this ultra cool partner who is impossible to shop for, and I wanted a unique gift for him. I remembered a quilt I had done when my niece was born, how everyone was so touched by the gesture and how much joy it gave me to make and give it. So I took inspiration from a photograph in his apartment, bought through www.jetsan.com:
Gorgeous, isn’t it? Well, I searched high and low for fabric, and found it all at Sew Sisters in Toronto. I think all the ladies at the shop had a hand in advising me. Mary helped me to settle on a pattern (she was working on one called Take Five, and appreciated the fact that I needed something tres simple, modern and elegant). I studied the pattern diligently, and came back the next day. Jeannie and Judy helped me find the right colour combo – I fell in love with the batiks! Armed with purple, red, pink, yellow and tan fabric, I went home and started cutting and piecing. I can tell you, there were moments of doubt – who picks that combination of colours?
But I soldiered on. When I went back to Sew Sister, I picked a beautiful black fabric with multicoloured flowers in the same shades as the quilt, and that became my border, and then Mary came up with a dark brown leaf motif that was super soft and perfect for the backing and binding.
Here’s the finished quilt:
There are tonnes of flaws and the setting is imperfectly orchestrated. But the quilt definitely was a welcomed surprise, and I’m amazed at how much I covet it. 🙂 But my partner loves it, and does not think I’m off my rocker anymore… he had no idea I was making this, and could not understand my sudden obsession with quilting how-to websites, magazines and You-Tube quilting tutorial videos! We decided it needed a name, and after much laughter, settled on the title above.
Off Quilter 