I think the very first homemade pieced (versus stamped, embroidered) quilt I ever had was made by my Mother-In-Law. Waaayyyy back, more than 29 years ago now (this past week was the 30th anniversary of the night DH and I met), she gave me/us a quilt that she had made.
Since then, I've received a couple more quilts from her, as well as quilts from two other people, before I started quilting myself. She has made quilts for each of my kids when they were little, when they graduated from high school, and when they got married (for the two that are married, that is). She has also made quilts for other members of her family, as well as for family friends. As far as I know, however, she hasn't made herself a quilt in a long, long time. And I don't think she's received a quilt from anyone else (afterall, she's a quilter, why would someone make her a quilt?) since her own mother got too old and gave up quilting.
At family Christmas in 2019, as I watched 4 members of our extended family unwrap quilts from her in varying sizes, I had an idea. I would make a quilt for the quilter. A lap quilt that Mother-In-Law could have for herself, because I knew that she would never think to make such a thing to keep. Not only would I make her a lap quilt, I would make a lap quilt about her.
Using the books Farm Girl Vintage and Farm Girl Vintage 2, I made a list of blocks that represented facets of Mother-In-Law. From that list, I made a preliminary sketch of a layout of the blocks into quilt, using both 12" blocks and 6" blocks.
- the family cabin, in the blue my children remember (before a bunkroom addition was put on in the late 2000's and the cabin was re-sided in vinyl.
- Old Glory
- (Holstein) cow
- Sawtooth Star
- Pinwheels
- 9-Patch
- Churn Dash
- Maple Leaf
- Haystack
- Spools (of quilting thread!)
- Pickup with pig
- Yarn Skeins
- Chicks
- Eggs
- (More) Chicks
- Red Barn (in her backyard)
- Hen (For the 1-3 chickens she's always seemed to have)
- Tractor