A Namaste Hug for Gillian

She's done.  And I'm in love.  This quilt was sewn with good vibrations, love, and positive thoughts for a dear friend.  Hope you've got a warm coffee or tea in hand for the dozen photos in this post!

A Namaste Hug - Namaste is a Sanskrit word with which I, like most yoga teachers, always close my classes.  It simply means "the light and all that is good within me humbly honours the light and all that is good within you."  Isn't that a beautiful salutation?

pre-washing, sunny

post-washing, not as sunny

What a difference a few hours makes for light!

The back:

I wish you could feel the incredible soft plush of this fabric

This shows off the plush fabric, as well as the quilting and the random words I quilted in in various spots

The backing was a hit at the guild meeting Tuesday night; the girl holding up the quilt for Show 'n Tell took it, and then when she touched it, her eyes widened, she gasped, "Oh!" and she rubbed her cheek against the back, saying, "MMM!" and smiling.  :-)  They were so impressed with the short, oh-so-soft plush pile. Someone else had a quilt for Show 'n Tell with navy minky on the back but it was a longer pile and not as nice.  I didn't ask where she purchased hers, but the shop owner of Guildcrafters said the box stores don't get the real minky Cuddle stuff.  I found out that a quilt shop in Leamington, just 8 km away from home, has lots of minky, so I will check them out.  And let you know how it compares price-wise of course!

Side view trying to get the texture of the ribbon candy and dot to dot after washing

I used the Jinny Beyer Coral Reef fabric as the binding, scraps of which I used to line one of my Nesting Bowls.  Bought for kaleidoscopes, and used as the backing on a bargello quilt in the early 2000s, I now have very little of it left.  I love a striped binding, and this one was perfect; there are also two squares of it in the heart.  I usually sew my binding down on the back by hand but this one I did by machine, sewing it to the back first, and then machine edge-stitching it down on the front.  It turned out really well.  I zigzagged the edges before applying the binding even though I'd already stay-stitched them, another tip from Jasmine.

Since Jasmine of Quilt Kisses had given me a wealth of advice and tips, I decided to copy her method of labelling a quilt.  I also hadn't applied my regular label before loading the quilt on my Avanté...

Why is there always a little thread, or in this case, piece of dead grass, that you don't notice until you input a picture?

I kept the swirl quilting quite open and large; Jasmine advice, so it didn't squash the pile.  At the store, the owner said she's used Cuddle a lot on quilt backings and she finds it's okay to quilt it closer as once you wash it the pile fluffs up just fine.  btw, it sure did wash up nicely!  I am happy I did the loose quilting; it was fast and freeing and it did turn out really well. The entire quilt is so soft and not heavy at all.

Here are some shots of the words I quilted in:

I always do this in the quilts I gift, quilt the recipient's name or names into the quilt.  Sometimes I tell them, sometimes I don't, and let them find the surprise.  Without going into detail, but I'm sure many of you have guessed, Gillian has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is currently undergoing treatment.  She was my first Yin yoga teacher, one of my first two Ashtanga yoga teachers, and we did Ashtanga yoga teacher training together throughout 2012, me for the first time, her for like the twenty-first. She likes to stay current, and loves workshops.

A shot of the Dot to Dot and ribbon candy pre-washing; I'm really happy with how I'm improving with ruler work on my Avril, as well as quilting upside down, sideways, diagonally, etc.

Love this old stone wall across the street!

Quilt Stats
Pattern:  original design based on Helen's Big Heart Big Family quilt
Size:  50 1/4"X54.5"post-quilting, but pre-washing it was 52X56
Fabric:  Kona Snow from my stash, pink and aqua from my scraps and stash
Backing: Minky Cuddle by Shannon Fabrics purchased at Guildcrafters
Batting: Warm 'n Natural
Quilted: on my Avanté
Threads: pieced with Gütermann; quilted with Isacord white 0015 and pink 2560, both 40 weight; machine bound, and edge-stitched with Sulky rayon variegated in pinks 2130 40 wt

I will definitely be using Minky Cuddle again... Jasmine, you have a convert!

I will be linking this post up with Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation, Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts, Can I Get a Whoop! Whoop! at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Pet Project Saturday at Pink Doxies, and Oh Scrap! At Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework. Phew! So much fabulous creativity and inspiration in our corner of blogland. :-)