July 21st Birthday Quilt

A little girl was born on July 21, 2008.  This is important to me, because July 21st is also my birthday, and because this new baby is the great-granddaugher of my husband's uncle and aunt.  This is the time when it would be great to have easy names for relatives, but we don't.  She is our first cousin, twice removed.  I think.

I love putting tons of symbolism into commemorative quilts.  (See these posts also:  wedding quilt, remembrance quilt, remembrance quilt.)  Here's the story of this one.

The print fabrics in this quilt are scraps from costumes I helped make.  I used to help with costumes for the Evanston Dance Ensemble when my dancin' daughter was in high school.  This particular dance was to the Beatles' song "Birthday", and the dancers were in party dresses made with these bright, 70s-style prints.  (That's my daughter on the left, in the birthday girl role.)

Photo by Matt Glavin

The pattern I found was Bright Hopes, the design perfect for showcasing the birthday dress fabrics, and the name perfect for welcoming a new little one to the planet.  I found coordinating solids in my fabric stash.

I used one of the solids in the center block, and embroidered our joint birthdate.

In February 2012, we had a family reunion and party for the great-grandparents on their 60th wedding anniversary.  Here we all are.  I am standing on the right.  (And since everyone asks about that wonderful sweater, no, I didn't make it.  It was made by my friend Susie, knitted, with a wool/silk blend yarn that is scrumptious.  She didn't like the way it looked on her and asked me if I'd like to have it.  I didn't have to think long about my answer.)

And here are the 4 generations:  the great-grandma looking on, grandma taking the photo of the mom, dad, little brother, and my birthday twin up on top, making the photo really fun.

I sign my quilts by appliquéing my handprint, and then embroidering the name of the quilt, date, and my signature.  For this quilt, I put on both our names and birth dates like this:

2008

July 21

1953