Quiltingboard Forums - Final Update on "Michael's Shirt Tales" and a big thank you to DQBM

This is truly a quilt made of love not just by me but through the kindness, encouragement and generosity of members of this board.

Initially, I wasn't "loving" this quilt at all. It was about to be history before it hardly got started. I posted my frustrations and was shocked at the response. 300 messages were posted telling me not to give up...keep going! Wow! I trusted the vision other's had even though I couldn't quite see it myself...so I continued.

I made another picture post asking how to quilt a 2 sided quilt. Trying to be frugal I decided to piece the back from scraps from the front...a true Scrappy Quilt...front to back! But the designs of the front and back were so different I wasn't sure what to do.

Then I received one of the greatest surprises and act of kindnesses of my life!!! Sherryl Candlequilter contacted me and said that a member of the board (referred to now as DQBM) contacted her and said that she wanted to pay for backing fabric for my quilt and to pay to have Candlequilter quilt this for me. I was stunned and moved to tears. (More times than I can count!...I can't tell people what happened without shedding a tear!) :XD:

I had just finished my backing and decided I liked having a "2-sided" quilt so I kept my own backing but sent my quilt all the way from Texas to Washington State to have it quilted. Candlequilter was great to work with and gave me good ideas for what to quilt. Since this quilt is all about my son...the shirts used are primarily his and his Dad's....and reflect different aspects of his life I decided the snow covered fir trees fit his love for the outdoors. And since the quilting is "independent" of the design on each side of the quilt it works really well for both sides.

I finished binding it today and just washed and damp dried it. It's hanging to dry and will be ready to give to my son in 2 days when we celebrate his 21st birthday.

I wanted to share his quilt, finished, one more time so I could again say thank you to everyone who helped me make this quilt. Y'all are truly a blessing. I learn so much on this board. But more than that I have experienced the overwhelming kindness of strangers...and I am deeply moved. And a special thanks to DQMB...I will never forget your kindness and generosity.

hugs, Karen

Front

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My corner label...didn't leave quite enough room around the edges as I thought, but it still works.

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Snow covered trees quilted throughout the quilt

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Back with my beloved quilt inspector

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