"Harvest Home" quilt

At our annual quilter's retreat in 2006, a table was set up for us to donate any books, patterns, notions, fabric pieces or panels and any other unneeded or unwanted items. These items were then up for grabs for anyone else who thought they could use them. I found a single copy of the October 2000 issue of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine with a quilt on the cover that I just loved and HAD TO MAKE. Of course, this quilt was a multi-month project that would have directions given in the next 6 issues...... and I had only the first one..... and the magazines are 7 years old. A new quest for found to locate the remaining 5 issues of the magazines.

Fortunately for me, quilters are often hoarders and savers (OK, let's be honest, some of us are pack rats) so I was able to borrow all the copies from my friend who gets the Quiltmaker's Newsletter Magazine and had issues going back that far. In the magazine (No. 326) the quilt is called "Fall Harvest" and was made by Ann Seely although I am calling mine "Harvest Home."

I had such fun picking the fabrics and colors for all the borders and actually had most of the fabrics I needed right in my own stash and only had to buy the background fabrics for the 3 largest borders. I was able to get it all pieced and put on the finishing touches by the time the quilter's retreat rolled around in October 2007.

This quilt was calling out for some awesome quilting that I knew I was not capable of producing, so for the first time, I called on a long arm quilter who came highly recommended. I was a long time coming to long arm quilting mostly because of the cost involved, but it is so distressing to feel pride in the job you did of making a great quilt top only to do it an injustice with inadequate or downright terrible quilting. I told the quilter that I wanted to say "Oh wow!" when I got the quilt back and saw it for the first time..... and that is just what happened. I was looking over the quilt saying "oh wow" and "oh my gosh" while she kept asking if I REALLY liked it. I REALLY do.

Never mind, that I had to get a part time job to pay for long arm quilting services! It is all worth it to have my short stack of un-quilted quilt tops finally get the finishing touches they deserve.... and they are done! What a great feeling.