The Big Guy and I delivered the Orphan Block Quilt to our daughter in Montana in August. We stayed a few days to visit, too!

A week before Christmas TBG asked me to  make this for his daughter (my favorite step-daughter) for Christmas! I said I'd love to  make her a quilt, how about for her birthday in March? Even that was a stretch as I had several quilts going - a block of the month, a buck-a-block and two childrens quilts for my girlfriends grandchildren. But I always love starting a new quilt. I love deciding what kind I am going to do, the design, the colors and piecing it all together. Roller Derby Daughter is a combination of all the good qualities of both her parents and she is a pleasure to be with. I had promised her a quilt with wool batt because it gets cold in Montana, where she lives. But more about that later.

This mermaid block is from a piece of Laurel Burch fabric I have and love.I used it because RDD has great and long hair, very curly.

This is the backing that I chose. It is  reproduction of an eighteenth century fabric commissioned by the DAR. I made the back all one fabric in case RDD didn't like the front.

The bright color strip is from a color challenge quilt I did early in 2012 at Quilter's Quarters - Stockton.  It was a lot of fun.

Just thought I'd stick this in! It is my own design and I stitched in the ditch to quickly quilt it.

This pinwheel was in my orphan block bin. I don't remember why I made it but I really like the dark-medium-light contrast in it.

This was the first block of the block of the month I did last year. It was the second one I did and I reduced it from a twelve inch block to a six inch block. I like it a lot better small but the lower left corner was really hard to piece!

This block was a practice block I did with my own fabrics before doing the block with the "official" fabrics. It was after I realized that my piecing left something to be desired. Doing a practice block worked out the kinks. The center is appliqued.

All in all this was a real learning experience for me. Here is what I learned: 

1.  I don't like following directions

2.  I am a freethinker when it comes to making a quilt. My design, my way!

3.  I am a little sloppy when I sew.

4.  I give my quilts to non-quilters (usually) and they love them no matter how they look so I can do what I want.

5.  I will do a quilt and let others pick the colors but I don't enjoy it.

P.S. Here are three of the other quilts I was working on  when I started this one (all finished and delivered)

This is called Puppy Love.

This is Kestrel's cousins for a little girl named Kestrel who lives in Idaho.

This is R.J. and Sarah's wedding quilt and it currently lives near Venice, Italy. It is my own design and my cousin-in-law and I picked out the colors. I designed the quilt and I love it.

Happy Quilting!