Festival Friends Block Swap...the Reveal

So in my last post, I may have mentioned that I was a wee bit stumped with how I was going to make these eleven blocks and the panel I had chosen, into a quilt.   And not just any quilt...I wanted my quilt to tell a story...or more importantly...my story.

So for several weeks, my blocks were pinned on my design wall...and then they began to speak to me.  Come on now...don't tell me your blocks or fabrics don't speak to you....you know they do.  Inspired by my friend, Victoria Findlay Wolfe, and her book 15 Minutes of Play, I decided to use some of the blocks I'd received, as fabric, to create new blocks.  I also decided to combine some blocks to show how our lives become "intertwined" with those we meet.

Remember Nikki's block?

And Carol's?

 

I combined those two blocks to create this one.

 

And then the Palmer's block...

was joined with Pam's block...

 

And became this.

 

Cecille's Block....are you read?

 

Became this...because quite frankly... my quilt needed a castle.

 

Peggy's embroidered initials were cut into a heart shape and added to the tree as if they'd been carved there by very special friends.

 

The heart from Dana's block was added to the root of my healing tree...because true healing begins in the heart...and the pains of life run deep into our roots.

 

And my Festival Friends Quilt....(somebody play a drum roll please)

 

 

 

I am so incredibly proud of my creation.

 

a few close ups of some of the quilting....

 

  

 

 

 

And there you have it!  My first ever quilt created from a block exchange!  I'm thinking I might like to do this again sometime....

Got Blocks?