Checked Off the Final To-Do and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  Now that Thanksgiving is over, this is the time of year that my calendar really starts filling up.  There are so many family and friend things happening,  I like to have my sewing obligations finished by the beginning of December, and I'm happy to report that my last sewing to-do was checked off yesterday.

I've been working to finish these four memory quilts, and since they've been finished, circumstances have just not allowed outdoor photos.  We've had lots of rain lately, and last week we not only had family in town for Thanksgiving, we actually made a quick trip to Louisiana for a family reunion AFTER Thanksgiving!  It was a lot to cram into a single week, but worth it.  The reunion was for my grandparents, and we managed to get their daughters, granddaughters (I'm the oldest of five granddaughters), and all of their great grandchildren from three different states all under one roof.  It poured down rain, but that didn't matter one bit.  We all had a wonderful time and enjoyed the day.

Needless to say, with everything going on, the night before the quilts were delivered, I realized I had not yet gotten any photos of them all finished, so I snapped some quick indoor shots before I had to let them go.

As you can see from the photo of the stacked quilts, three of the four are exactly alike.  The pattern was specifically requested by the widow, as she wanted her son and grandsons' quilts to all be alike.  Once I got the color distribution of the shirt rectangles how I liked it, it was easy to replicate two more times.

The fourth quilt is for her, and this pattern was chosen by her daughter-in-law (my friend).  The recipient thinks she is only getting three quilts, so this fourth one is a special Christmas surprise.

I had so many shirts, there were enough leftovers to make a pieced backing for each of them.  Originally, my friend mentioned using navy as a background color, but with so many darker plaids, it wasn't a good choice and we decided on Kona Khaki instead.  Since navy was a favorite color of his, instead I chose to feature Kona navy on the backing and binding, along with chambray to widen out the backing.  Each of the quilt backs is constructed the same way, but with different shirt panels on each one.

You know, memory quilts are not always the most exciting project.  Breaking down the shirts is so labor-intensive, and the shirts can be tricky to work with.  I will say this though, the pure joy and appreciation shown when someone receives one cannot be matched.  To take clothing of a loved one and turn it into a long-lasting, functional reminder of them is so special.  Snuggling in a quilt is always like a warm hug, and perhaps this comfort is most apparent with memory quilts.

As I mentioned, this set of quilts was the last item on my to-do list.  I might sew something small between now and Christmas just for fun, but with two parties (at my house!) this weekend, one next weekend (not at my house), our wedding anniversary the weekend after, and all kinds of other smaller family holiday things like baking, gift-wrapping, and Christmas movies, I'm just not sure when I'll be able to squeeze it in.

So, how about you?  Are you checking off your holiday sewing list?  I hope so, and I also hope you're taking time to enjoy the season!  Let's get to our party, shall we?  But first, a few highlights from our last party.  Take a look at this scrappy quilt by Gretchen's Little Corner-

I love this quilt by Rita at Quiltpiecer-

And Melisa at Pinker n Punkin Quilts linked up her progress on this cute quilt.  'Tis the season!

Okay, friends!  It's time to get our party going!  I can't wait to see what you're working on.

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)