For the family Christmas grab bag I thought I'd make a quilted table runner. We have a $25 limit and I figured that I'd be able to make something nice, and stay just over the budget. I settled on a Blooming 9-Patch (a pattern that I had always called Bleeding 9-patch) in Christmas colors. The patches are set on point and the colors from the solid blocks appear to bleed into the adjoining 9-patch blocks. The binding done in the matching forest green batik.
The top turned out beautifully. It seemed too special to use as a grab bag gift, but alas, that was the plan. I went to the quilting store to have it quilted and found the perfect pattern: Holly Leaves and Berries. In my excitement, I neglected to inquire as to the price. Imagine my surprise when the quilting alone (without factoring in cost of fabric, time, etc) cost almost four times the grab bag budget limit. I will say that the quilting is absolutely beautiful.
The sticker shock soon wore off and I realized that instead of a grab bag gift, I was holding a potential family heirloom. I remember a sunny spring morning. We had grabbed some pastries from Panera Bread and gone to my brother's house. Inside, the dining room windows were open wide; outside, the sun was shining, the birds were singing and all you could see was green ... the rustic dining table made us feel as if were were eating patisseries in France. That table is where this runner belongs. The decision made, it would become my sister-in-law's Christmas gift.
On the back, in a lower corner, I did something I usually don't do... I initialed and dated the piece. MLP 2011 Christmas.
I had to postpone making this post until Laura received her gift. I hope she likes it and that it graces her Christmas table for years to come.
