Quilty Heartbreak and Healing

My last post was about the wonderful quilt I was about to send to Quilty Hugs for Happy Chemo.  I got the binding on, and was ready to send it off.  All that was required was a quick wash and dry, then Post Office here I come.

Then came the heartbreak.  Even though I used a very mild detergent, good fabrics from a quilt store, color catchers and cold water, the red from the back of the quilt faded onto a few select strips of fabric on the front.  They were bright pink.  I couldn't send this quilt ... what to do!!!!

I called my LQS asking for suggestions, washed the quilt again with cold water, tons of color catchers and straight oxi clean.  Now my bright pink strips are light pink.  Still don't feel like I can send it.  My daughter and my husband think I can ... but I won't.

I don't know if you can see the pink in the below pictures ...

The pink is on the white with the little black shapes and the keyboard looking fabric.  Oh well, I guess this one was meant to be mine.

Here is the one originally intended to go to Happy Chemo, (this is still a flimsy, I have an appointment on a long arm machine to quilt on the 28th and it will be taken care of then.)

This one is a disappearing nine-patch.  I worked very hard to have the pattern I wanted with the hearts going in a cross-hatch direction.  Before the black/white/red quilt heartbreak I promised since I was sending my quilt off, that my daughter could have this one for her 7th birthday on the 7th of June.  Can't take it back from her, she would be upset, plus I have another block that I am going to quilt so her American Girl doll will have a matching quilt!

This leads to the healing.  After the first two washes of the first quilt, when the pink was not fading at all ... I went to my LQS and got a jelly roll of Moda's Simple Marks Summer, by Malka Dubrawsky.  While I liked these prints, they just were not my usual style.  I was extremely upset and thought that maybe I should break out of my box for happy colors.  If they could help me smile, maybe they could do the same for a chemo patient.

I am VERY pleased with the way this one came out.  As Sarah from Confessions of a Fabric Addict told me, this is a great pattern to learn quilting on.  I was much more careful with my seams, ironed as I went along and before I knew it, quilty healing had happened.  I can only hope that this quilt will do the same for someone through Quilty Hugs for Happy Chemo.

This one will be quilted at the same appointment on the 28th, then off to Happy Chemo it goes.

Thank you for the WONDERFUL experience Sarah!  I promise that Happy Chemo will receive more than one quilt from me.



Thanks for stopping by!

Jackie

All but the binding

I have been working on a disappearing nine patch for a charity quilt being led by Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  I finally finished the flimsy, pics to follow, and life got in the way and I realized I wouldn't be able to finish that one in time to send.

Good thing I work on multiple projects!  I had another quilt that was half way quilted and then would be good to go once I got the binding on.

This is the very first quilt I have made.  It is a 1600 Jelly Roll race quilt that was intended to be for me.  Turns out I liked the back better than the front.  (The back is the top picture.)  You can see my little helper holding up the quilt.  Poor thing has a cough.  At least she is covering her mouth ... I promise I will wash this before I send it off!  (Sorry ... I don't know how to turn the pictures so they are right side up!)

I just did straight line quilting along the horizontal stripes of fabric.  Not so bad for a first effort!

Welcome to my #1 lifetime quilt.

Thanks for stopping by!
Jackie