Birthday Quilt

** I'm thought I might try to post some long forgotten drafts. This guy is from 2020, but as it's my birthday month and this exact quilt is on my bed right now, it felt like a good one to share :-)

OMG, so a (long) while ago I posted that I wanted to make a Calendar of Quilts - a quilt to use on each of the important occasions/milestones in my year, and you would think from looking at my blog after that, that that idea was sent out into the universe and then dissolved, because I am *the*worst*blogger*ever*.

Actually, within 24 hours I found myself sitting in my sewing room looking around with despair because I had come to an impasse with my active WIP and needed to make *something* else. Something *fun*.  And having just posted about the Calendar of Quilts, I thought I might make a start on some cushions - you know: ease myself into it with something small and simple.

On my list I had put down that I wanted Ashley and I each to have a "present" pillow for our respective birthdays - him in blue, me in purple so that we each have our own special pillow just for our birthday.  I did a bit of a google for present patterns and the ones that I found looked simple enough so I decided to wing it.

I went to my stash and grabbed a bunch of charm squares that I had cut up (intending to make something but not quite getting around to it... maybe one day), a bit of neutral I'd bought knowing it would go with my couch and some random grey yardage.  Chop chop chop, before I knew it I had 3 good sized presents, and they were super cute.  I really liked them.  All blue, because I was tired and my brain hadn't clicked that I actually wanted different colours, but that was fine - 3 cushions on the couch is perfect.

And then I laid them out and I just wanted more. They were just so right.

So I dug through that bundle of charm squares and pulled out any that had 4 squares and whipped them up.  And I *still* wanted more.  I thought little presents might be cute, so I grabbed that bundle of charms and pulled out my favourites  where I only had 1,2 or 3 of them (so hadn't been able to turn into big presents in the initial big present making frenzy) and sliced through the middle of each charm to make them into little presents. #love




But I *still* wanted more. So then I dove into yardage and started chopping *that* into charms to make more big and little presents. My plan to make 2 pillows turned into a queen size quilt top!!

I made so many presents I ran out of background fabric.  I could have kept going! Turned my entire stash into charm squares and still be making presents many months later.  Fortunately I did have some restraint.  They were just so fun and quick and I think effective.

The best part: Ashley likes the colour scheme so I know that it's perfect for our birthday quilt. Yes, At the moment I think we'll share this for both our birthdays.  I might eventually make pillows too but for now, I'm calling this as sufficient.

A lovely guild mate did the quilting and we chose a lovely pointed loopy edge to edge pattern.  It's backed in a floral paisley, in fairly neutral colours.  Both these decisions being things I think are a nice compromise as this is a sharing quit.  It's bound in a simple grey that I had in stash. 

A little special addition: the top left present has a little pocket.  Big enough to slip a card into (or some cute earnings, hint hint) on birthday morning.  It's there because I had intended for it to be a pillow but I think it's just as cool on a quilt top (although I had to apologise profusely to the quilter, for whom this stopped it from being quite as simple a quilt job).

I really love this quilt. And while I made it prompted by the Calendar, I can see us using this throughout the year.  It makes me happy, and that's the sign of a good quilt.

I have a few projects that I started because of this idea, and it's really fun. Every time I get stuck in the "what to make" rut, I have pulled up the calendar and there's usually something there that makes my eyes light up.

E xx