A quilt for my Missionary!

One of the Sister's that Kristi met in the MTC had a back-pack made by her mother and the material was a lavender Sister Missionary flannel print. So Kristi sent me a picture of it and said how fun the material was and wondered if I could find some.

So when I was in Utah in July part of my vacation quest was searching for this material. And I was triumphant when I came upon a piece (in pink) just large enough to piece a quilt. I was now armed and ready to make my Missionary a surprise for Christmas.

This was a picture of their bedroom in Nov, 2010

Needs a little hug from home...no?

So, I got crackin.

I decided it would add some maturity to the quilt by adding some 9 patch.

My fun work station.

The idea is coming together. I decided to use a large center piece instead of cutting it up to preserve the integrity of the small print, and to keep the focus on the Missionary theme.

I took pieces from Cami & Cassi's quilts and added it to Kristi's. My mother collected teddy bears. So I incorporated a few teddy bears. Also-the butterfly material is Breast Cancer Awareness material. There is also material with the Salt Lake City Temple where me and Jerry were married.

I free-hand embroidered the name of her Mission, her Mission President's name, and all of her companions names (thus far), and her name, of course, on patches of the quilt. (P.S. You can see how the inegrity of a small print is sometimes lost when it is cut up, thus, why I chose to leave the center piece large).

Sister Ward, Sister Kingsford, Sister Kissell, and Sister Gallego

I laid it out on the floor to get some ideas and to begin piecing it together.

I chose brown as the other majority color to add age to the print.

Isn't it a cute print?

I added brown flannel sashing, brown flannel backing and binding.

Lois Schauweker quilted it for me with her long arm machine.

Then I put on the binding.

Then it was finished and ready for Sister Dodge's Christmas box.

I also made flannel pillow cases to match and my friend Melanie Leonard embroidered their names on them...Sister Dodge and Sister Gallego. :) I also made others for Christmas presents. Fun times.

When I went to Utah I snapped a darling pic of my niece Brinley snuggled up in the quilt I made for Shannon last Christmas. You can see the Temple material I also added to Kristi's. :) I love that there are pieces of the same cloth in each other's quilts symbolic of how we are all connected in the fabric of our lives.

I have made some fun quilts. I love making them. It is definately in my genes. My grandmother Rosina Mertz made many many quilts. In fact when she passed away and her bed was disassembled and moved there were several quilts folded up in between the mattress and box springs. Beautiful quilts for 'someday'. This taught me a valuable lesson. Every day is a special day, a day for celebration...today is someday. That is not to say that she didn't use and give away many gorgeous quilts, she certainly did. I was raised snuggled beneath her quilts, and I loved knowing my grandma's hands made them. Oh how I love her and find happiness in knowing she is on the other side with a grin as I continue with her passion.

This is Sister Dodge showing some of her Christmas presents.

She already has put her quilt on her bed. :) Thats my girl!

~Missionary Momma Dodge