September 19, 2016

Look Who "Popped" into Town!

For my 2nd entry into the Blogger's Quilt Festival, I'm posting my original design Mary Poppins quilt.  

I created this quilt from a old cross stitch pattern I never seemed to have finished in the 90's.  The quilt pattern was totally drafted in Excel (stems from my daily spreadsheet nerdiness!) and created in 10" blocks.  This allowed me to work on any block I wanted to help break up the process.  I saved most of the harder blocks til the end!  The quilt was started in June 2015 and I just finished it up in July 2016, just in time to enter it into the State Fair of Texas.  Sadly, I didn't place, but just taking the plunge and putting myself out there was enough pressure for me this year.  Hopefully next year I can create something worthy of a winning ribbon.

I created this especially for my younger sister who absolutely LOVES Mary Poppins. She even has the top part of this same image tattooed on her upper arm. She is truly an inspiration to me. Though we lost touch for about 14 years, we recently (the past 2-ish years) have become reacquainted and I've learned of the hardships she's had to endure during the time we lost touch. She suffers from Neuromyelitis Optica which is a rare disorder caused by the immune system attacking the body’s healthy cells, with attacks directed mostly against the eyes and spinal cord. This causes inflammation of the spinal cord and optic nerve, which can cause loss of vision, mobility, and sensation. Although there is no cure for NMO, investigators are seeking a treatment to prevent additional attacks or relapses.  Together with NMO, she is the super-mom to two kids in the Autism Spectrum.  She and her husband are true angels on earth for all God has given them.

Even though I was hoping to win a ribbon in the fair with this quilt and have it hang for all to see who visited the fair, that just means that I am that much closer to gifting it to her.  It's going to be a total surprise!!

The finished quilt measures about 65" x 100".  The top is made from only Kona Black and White.  The back is a lovely cloud fabric that I purchased online as well as the rainbow paint-stroked binding.

I hope that this quilt will give her comfort when she is feeling down or has to go have her port flushed or to snuggle up under when she's receiving chemo treatments.  I want it to be a constant reminder that I love her and am always here for her.  She lives in Utah and I in Texas.  Not too far away, but still too far to hug her every time she needs it.  Hopefully this quilt will help fill that void.










My local longarm quilter, Janie, did a spectacular job on the quilting.  It's called Popcorn, but totally looks like puffs of clouds!

Enjoy!
Jenn



13 comments:

  1. I LOVE this. I teach Children's lit, and I often have my students read Mary Poppins. Great book and great quilt!

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  2. Jennifer, your Mary Poppins is adorable! Your sister will love, love, love it! I can almost hear "A Spoonful of Sugar Makes the Medicine Go Down." Sorry to hear she is having such a difficult time. It's so good to hear from you again; I've wondered if you are okay. ---"Love"

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  3. Gorgeous quilt which I am sure your sister will love.

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  4. It's wonderful! It will mean so much to her. Recently watched the movie with my 7 year old GD and had fun singing along with the songs.

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  5. Would you consider sharing the pattern with me? I am Mary Poppins obsessed!!!

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    1. I'm sorry, but it's not really "public" ready yet. I drafted it in excel and don't quite know how much fabric I actually ended up using. I'm hoping to add it to Craftsy in the near future.

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  6. This is an amazing quilt! I am so sorry to hear about your sister - just can't imagine. This quilt will be well loved, I'm sure! Best of luck in the blogger's festival! This one has my vote!!

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  7. Wow! Fantastic quilt! Good luck in the blogger's quilt festival!
    I'm so sorry to hear about your sister's illness!

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  8. Oh Jennifer, this is just fun, fun, fun! I'm sorry about your sister's illness. This quilty hug is sure to lift her spirits.

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  9. Ein wunderschöner Quilt zum verlieben
    Eine tolle Idee
    Karo

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  10. Beautiful quilt! It will surly be a blessing to your sister.

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