With Love from Gigi

Very early in 2017 I got a request for a commission quilt. I'd never had such a request before and I was scared and excited by the idea. But, once I heard the story of the quilt I was being asked to make, there was no way I could say no.

Betsy and her mom were working on designing a quilt for Betsy's new baby. It was based on a 1920's quilt and would have lots of fun colors. They'd worked up a sketch with measurements and picked out fabrics...but Betsy's mom passed away before she could begin sewing.

When Betsy contacted me, she was in the process of setting up her daughter's big-girl room and bed. She was hoping we could translate her mother's quilt pattern into a twin sized quilt.

Betsy and I worked together to update the design and talked about colors and fabrics. She sent a huge box of her mom's fabrics for me to use. We talked about which fabrics to showcase and I spent a lot of time fussy cutting.

We decided the background should be pieced low volume prints, something I'd never tried before. But it was so fun and it allowed me to add in a bit more of Betsy's fabric.

Betsy decided on a simple backing, an adorable and fun horse print that I matched along the seam line. We decided on a meander quilting and a hand-embroidered label, drawn by Betsy in her own handwriting and stitched by me.

It's hard for me to write about this quilt and the experience of making it. I loved working with Betsy, collaborating, bouncing ideas off each other. And knowing that I was helping to fulfill her mom's last quilt-wish...it's almost too much, you know? But the entire process was fun and challenging and emotional and everything wonderful. I feel truly honored and grateful.