quilting for friends

One of my friends was recently diagnosed with lymphoma. I wanted to do something special for him, so I decided on a lap quilt. I have heard these can be good for patients undergoing chemo. Besides the benefits of giving warmth in a cold hospital room, quilts are great ways of reminding people that you care of them. Also, colorful or intricate quilts can provide a distraction; something to look at or think about in quiet moments.

I wanted to maximize the colors and patterns, so I got two sets of coordinating charm squares. I only had to repeat 6 fabrics in the whole quilt. I also decided on a disappearing 9 patch so the colors would be broken up, but I could also complete the project quickly. Here's a look at the finished 9 patches, before I made them "disappear".


Once I finished the top, I machine quilted in a large, overlapping square pattern. Then I added a few details by hand. I quilted around each central square, and quilted an "L" for the patient's surname.



I had chosen greens and browns to give a forest feel, and embroidered a quilt label to match this theme.


I had some fabric bits left over at the end, so I decided to make a pin cushion for his fiance. This was my first time doing English Paper Piecing. This was a cute pattern I got at Fabric Shack last year. I sewed the entire thing by hand. It was actually very easy, and a great thing to do while watching some World Cup action.



This whole project was really fun for me, because it reminded me how much I love doing needlework by hand. I was quite pleased with my results, and how easily it all came back to my fingers.