My Sister's Quilt

I finally decided which quilt needed to be my next project.  My younger sister, Holly, has been complaining about not having a quilt from me.  My dad has one and all my kids but not her.  I bought a pattern awhile ago with the intention of making it for her.  She wanted purples (ew) and flowers.  So eventually, I found a fabric I liked and thought I could work with.  See Hallie?  Apparently she liked it too!
My sister is 9 years younger than me and will be turning 40 this year.  She has cerebral palsy and lives with my dad.  I figured since this is a milestone birthday, I needed to make this the next quilt for me to work on.  Here is a photo of the fabric pre-cutting.  It really is kind of pretty, don't you think?
My pattern is called "Stacked Posies".  You cut the fabric by repeat and stack it and then cut strips and your blocks.  Well, I liked this fabric but it had a small repeat.  No problem, I said as I purchased it.  Little did I know that this meant that my squares for each 4 patch would be itty bitty (or at least for me).  The repeat determines how big you can make your squares and mine had to be 1& 3/4"!!  Here are the strips, there are four fabrics in each strip.
I diligently cut and cut and cut and sewed and sewed and sewed only to realize I was going to have to make a gazillion of these to make a quilt of any size.  So Mosen and I thought about it and here is what we decided to do.  I will set 4-4patch units on point with 1" sashing between and framed with 1" borders of different purples.  This will set off each of the posie blocks to their best advantage.  
Mosen is pointing to his favorite ones previewed on one of the purples I happened to have at home in the stash.
Here are 2 more purples that will work.
Well, it will *still* not be large enough like that without more work, so I will alternate each posie block set with a white square set on-point.  I envision Liz the Whiz doing some fabulous block work in those white squares.  Like a feathered wreath or something in variegated purple thread.  It looks so cool, in my head!  I cut and sewed 2 strip sets and got almost 200 4 patch units done.  I calculated that I need to do one more full strip set and that should give me enough to make the quilt I want to do.  I still need to find all the purples, and I will go to the stash first for that.  I want to finish the 4 patch's first though.  One step at a time.  I am loving how each of the 4 patch units are so different!  It really is a cool technique.  Although if I *ever* do it again I will use fabric with a larger repeat!  The 4 patch units definitely need to be set apart so you can see each one as they are so cute!!  I think I would like to find a purple stripe with some white in it for an inner border and then put the floral around the outside.  

I just had a visit from Liz the Whiz and she suggested a 9 patch using the 4 posie patch and white (I think it would be too much to use purple).  I think this is BRILLIANT!!  If I alternate with white it will look like an irish chain!!!  I am even *more* excited about it now.  I will go home and graph it and see what it looks like and if I like it that's what I'll do.  Way less work than sashing all those patches AND I have always wanted to make an Irish chain so stay tuned!

I also had to sew a garter for my friend Karen for her to wear for her wedding.  I did manage to get that done also.  I forgot to photograph it but I will and then post it later.  I also sewed some of the blocks I am helping with to make a quilt for one of the priests at our church.  I think it will be a really sharp quilt, right up my alley.  It is done in all blues and greens and white.  Once it gets to a place where I can I will photograph it and talk more about that one too.