Finished: The gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, farmers' market quilt

This is a story about Helen's quilt. In mid-2013 I started making a quilt out of fruit and vegetable fabrics - all purchased when I was at the SCQuilters retreat in Townsville in 2012. I loved how quirky the fabrics were, but had no idea what to do with them originally. I ended up piecing a quilt made from half-square triangles with the intention of giving it to my friend Helen for her birthday. She has to avoid dairy and gluten and is also a vegetarian and is super healthy so she was the perfect recipient. Plus she has the BEST sense of humour so would totally get it.



Four of us were driving to Melbourne for her 59th birthday party/house renovation warming party in late August 2013. One of my friends was already making her a quilt, and life happened, and quilt exhibitions, and I ended up not getting the quilt finished in time. No matter, I thought. I've made her two quilts before - I'll give it to her on her 60th.

I haven't been to Melbourne as much as I'd have liked to over the last couple of years and I just never really thought much of that quilt again for some reason. But I'd made plans to have a little holiday in Melbourne by myself around the long weekend recently and was going to see Helen (5 weeks after after her 62nd birthday - bad friend!) so 4 days before I left I decided to finish the quilt and give it to her.



The piecing of the back took me half a day. Normally it would take half an hour. I just couldn't seem to grasp how a tape measure worked. But I finally got my shit together, basted it, quilted it and bound it. I managed to get a lot of gardening, a lunch out, two swims, and an afternoon drinks session with sewing friends in that time. It helps that I didn't quilt it that heavily, I suppose. Also I'm a super-fast binder. I LOVE binding.



I took these photos in my hotel room an hour before I met Helen for dinner in Northcote. She loved her quilt. For once I've made her a quilt for her bed (it is 60 inches, so a bed topper) rather than her wall which makes me happy. I like keeping my friends warm, especially those I've known for more than half my life and who now live so far away.



I quilted it with Aurifil thread 50/2 weight in a green colourway. It blends really well with the quilt. I did a diagonal design half an inch away from the bigger diamonds, and then in the ditch horizontally and vertically. The quilting probably took me about 2 1/2 hours, but it is utilitarian and it definitely won't fall apart.

Details:

Pattern: My own - using HSTs

Size: 60" x 60" (finished block size 5")

Fabric: Various fruit and vegetable fabrics; and a green and white spotted fabric background

Quilting: Machine quilted, straight lines, using Aurifil Mako 50/2 thread in green (2890)

Batting: bleached 100% cotton

Started: July 2013

Finished: 3 October 2016