Kensington Gardens

When Ian and I were in London a few years ago, we spent a lot of time in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. These parks (technically separate but right next to each other) are filled with beautiful paths and lakes and gardens and horse trails and statues and expansive lawns and hidden wilderness. Every morning and afternoon we would sight-see and every evening we'd pick up salads and cheese and wine and have a picnic in the park. It was lovely weather, warm and sunny. No bugs, no rain. Tall grass, rustling leaves, echoes of laughter.

One day Ian and I split up and I went to Liberty of London. I walked through the store slowly, admiring everything lovely and wonderful. When I began shopping for fabric in earnest, a beautiful and well dressed man took the bolts from my arms and carried them to the cutting table for me.

I left the store with a tidy package containing four of my most favorite prints. I took the tube to Hyde Park. I sat in the grass and read my book and waited for Ian. Every so often I'd take out my fabrics and admire them. They were the very first Liberty prints I had ever purchased.

Over the next few years I collected more prints from online stores. And they were lovely and I didn't want to cut into them. But the day finally came when I felt it was time to make a quilt. A place where all my Liberty prints could mingle together like flowers in an English garden. A remembrance of my time in London.

I made a plan, I cut and I cut and when I stopped to count, I had unknowingly cut enough fabric for two quilts. One quilt for me, large enough to fit on my bed. And one smaller quilt, exactly the same except for the size.

This quilt is for my friend Karrie. It's called Kensington Gardens, named after the smaller of the two parks. It's backed with a lovely soft voile and bound with Liberty Tana Lawn in one of my favorite prints and colorways. The combination makes this quilt airy and silky soft. Finished size is 64" x 80".

Even though I know I'll someday finish my own version of this quilt (I've set aside the blocks for now), it was hard to give this one away. But I did and Karrie loves it and that makes me so very happy.