Apples for Isia

I have been promising a post with this quilt for a while, this was actually finished before Jack but I couldn't wait to give it away so I didn't take any pictures of it. Once it reached it's destination, Mama Cass snapped some beauties though.

I am totally in love with Aneela Hoey's fabrics. She does beautiful prints that are cute without being cutesy - not an easy trick. I have been visiting The French Seam in Indianapolis and snapping up little pieces of Little Apples as I could afford them, a yard here and a half yard there. The problem was that I gathered them up and put them in my stash closet and there they sat. They needed to go to someone who could love them.

Who better than my little friend Isia?

Cassie (www.freshlyplanted.blogspot.com) and I have been friends since college and she is one of the most caring and creative people I will ever know. Her daughter, Isia, is a joy. She is a bright, funny, stubborn little person who holds some pretty firm opinions, even for a three year old. Watching Cass manage Isia gives me a whole new perspective on someone I have been friends with for ten years!

Isia recently moved into a big girl bed and I thought that this would be a great chance for me to let my Apples go. I wanted to make something for her that was fun and colorful but also allowed spaces for the eye to rest and had big blocks so that the patterns could be enjoyed and talked about.

I am beyond pleased with how it turned out. This was my first big wonky star quilt and I think they add a lot to the overall look.

I handquilted around the stars with red embroidery floss and (although it took much longer than I thought it would) it really set them off beautifully.

The back was patched from a few larger pieces and Kona Coal. Seriously - I need to lay off the Kona Coal - it is becoming an obsession.

She was so excited when I gave it to her that immediately it became the roof for a fort, then a tunnel, then a blanket for some pre-nap stories and then was taken up to be put on her bed. I want to make quilts that are used. Quilts that are stepped on, dragged around, hid under, snuggled with and loved. This one is.