Hubby's Quilt

I made a quilt for hubby for our 20th Anniversary, back in 2007.  It was a total surprise to him.  I used the 'flip flop' template that I'd purchased at the International Quilt show a year before.  I'd never done curved piecing, but, I taught myself with this template, and Kathie Alyce's demo.  I purchased one of her patterns, but, as usual, I didn't use the pattern (not even sure where I put it).  I just 'winged it'.  I'd been collecting 'racing' fabrics for about a year, and decided to make a quilt.  (Hubby races 'slot cars' in the basement with his friends.)    After the quilt top was made, and the quilt was basted, I had surgery on my index finger.  The surgery turned out to be much more invasive than the doc and I had thought it would be.  After the surgery, the doc and the therapists weren't sure that I'd be able to hand quilt again.  Well,  phooey on that!  I was determined to hand quilt again.  Oldest son and I drove to a quilt store that sold pvc quilt frames, and purchased one.  Since hubby had built me a wooden frame several years before, and, since it was set up, with a quilt on it, downstairs, hubby thought that I would practice hand quilting on that quilt, never thinking that I'd purchase another frame and hide it in the guest bedroom closet.  I could set up, or take down the quilt frame in just minutes.  The kids would call their daddy on his way home from work, to see just how far away he was, so that I'd have extra time to work on the quilt without getting caught.  I would quilt, using the injured finger for a few stitches, then just use the rest of the fingers, until I could use the injured finger all the time.  I got more 'function' out of that finger using my 'quilting therapy' than the therapist could get using traditional therapy.  I didn't get the quilt finished on time, but, I was really close.  I presented it to him on our anniversary, and, boy was he surprised that I'd been able to hide it from him.

John's racing quilt

The quilt now hangs next to his slot car track in the basement.  Kathie Alyce had asked me to send her a picture of the finished quilt.  Boy was I surprised when she asked if she could include it in her book.  Kathie used this quilt as an example to show what else can be done with her template, since I 'did my own thing' with her template, instead of following any of her patterns.  Cool! 

This quilt is being entered in The Quilting Gallery's weekly quilt contest this week, since it is for 'Quilts for Dad'.  Voting doesn't start until Friday now, and doesn't end until Monday.

PS:  This is also an 'I Spy' quilt, since I quilted race cars, police cars, ambulances, fire trucks, gas pumps, racing flags, tires, and other 'racing' items in each block.  Sorry, but they don't photograph well.

*Hey, don't forget to check out Kathie Alyce's site, Waterfall Quilts.   Kathie is adding a new template soon, and is working on a new book, too.