Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Birthday Blessings and a Miss

Well, my 52 Birthday has come and gone and I'm still not finished with my Jubilee Quilt.  You would think after such a horrid winter I would have had the time to finish this.   I first blogged about it here.


I have almost 2 of the borders finished.  It is amazing how different it looks quilted.

I received another antique quilt from my dear friend, Mary (this makes four!).   I love half square triangles and I'm thrilled to have this beauty.

It contains lots of interesting shirtings and stripes and plaids.

Mary Pat sent me this fabulous Nancy Drew Fabric - I love it!  


How cute - the selvage bubbles are her silhouette.

And finally this special gift from Jill.  She finished and sent it in April with the help of her sister-in-law, MJ.  I was away when she mailed it and she had passed away when I picked it up at the Post Office.  It was such an amazing surprise.

This pincushion has everything I love; toile', birds, pink, house, hand stitching, hexies....It is just perfect in every way.

Jill and I exchanged many gifts over the years.  This one will have to last the rest of my life.  I'll cherish it.  A gift so special it broke my heart a little.

Thank you to all my friends for so many Birthday Wishes - 52 is going to be a great year!


30 comments:

Pinkadot Quilts said...

Happy Birthday! What a special and beautiful gift! It will always give you wonderful memories.
Your quilt is looking spectacular! It is surprising how much the quilting can change the looks of the quilt. I am so impressed with your hand quilting!

OT Quilter said...

What a wonderful surprise from Jill! It is truly perfect and will help keep her close to you forever. Your Jubilee looks fabulous. And when I saw the link on FB, I was afraid you had made all those HSTs. What a relief to read that the quilt is a gift from Mary! (And a beautiful one, at that!) Happy Birthday again, dear Barb!

Cheryl said...

Happy Birthday!

fabriquefantastique said...

Indeed, a very special present.

Helen said...

Ahh, yet another gift from Jill!

Sending you best wishes for your "Fifty-second" ...
another year closer to that Jubilee finish!!!

Janet said...

What a darling little pincushion! It's hard to choose a favorite side. Such a special and sweet gift that you can use and be reminded of your happy memories together. Your Jubilee quilt looks marvelous!! I love how you are quilting the border! The hst quilt is another gorgeous gift! Thanks for the close pictures - the fabrics are so varied and interesting to study. Happy Birthday Barb!

Sue said...

Hi Barb, it bought be to tears seeing how Jill was so thoughtful to the end. I have a little brooch she gave me in Vermont. Something I will treasure too.
Your jubilee quilts is looking great and the half square triangles quilt is a real gift.
Hope this Birthday year is fab.

Nifty Quilts said...

Happy birthday, Barb! Oh my, tears well up as I look at that precious pin cushion. Your quilting looks so good on "Jubilee." I say finish it by your 60th. xo

Thimbleanna said...

Oh my gosh -- your breaking heart was exactly what I was thinking as I was reading through teary eyes. What a treasure of a gift you've received. And it's SO beautiful -- Wow.

Happy Belated Birthday. Wishing you a wonderful summer!

Dawn said...

Happy Birthday Barb, here's to many ore cherished memories to treasure!

Lori said...

That pin cushion from Jill is so precious! i know she missed you a lot.
Mary's antique quilt gifts are wonderful! That has so many different wonderful fabrics. I cannot remember if I wished you a happy birthday or not... Happy birthday my lovely friend, brought together from Jill. :) xoxox

Janet O. said...

Hope the birthday was delightful.
Your Jubilee quilt is so awesome. Wow, you are doing some pretty dense quilting and it really finishes off the quilt beautifully!! What an heirloom you have created!
And the vintage quilt is a prize! Wow--that was a lot of work!
That sweet pincushion gift from Jill really touches me. I can understand it breaking your heart a little. What a treasured memento!

audrey said...

Happy Birthday! Your Jubilee quilt is fabulous! Love that texture. The stitching is there when you need it--I know you'll finish up when it's time.:) Love that sweet pin cushion. Such a super sweet treasure.

Karen said...

Happy birthday. My jubilee quilt was finished a little mor than two years after I started, keep going, it's gorgeous!! Your pin cushion is fabulous.

Ann in PA said...

Happy Birthday! Your Jubilee Quilt is stunning. What a wonderful treasure from Jill...I love the words...a gift from her heart that will always remind you of a dear friend.

Jan said...

Well, it's been quite a birthday week for you! Mary's gift is wonderful and I know her quilts are even more special because they come from her. Jill's gift ~ well, my heart skipped a beat when I first glimpsed it. I can't even imagine opening the package to find it. What a thoughtful, charming gift, a beautiful remembrance.
Keep chugging along on that gorgeous Jubilee quilt ~ it's smashing!

Diane said...

Okay, the story of the pin cushion gave me goosebumps! What a special treasure to remember Jill by. The Jubilee quilt is looking wonderful, the hand quilting is amazing, and the gifted antique quilt is really fun. So many fabrics to look at and admire. I would say that was a birthday to remember for sure. Best wishes for a wonderful year!

Rachaeldaisy said...

That special pincushion is so beautiful in every way especially as a reminder that Jill will always be near when you sew. All the details she stitched are so gorgeous and so made for you. You're really getting there with your quilting on your Jubilee quilt. It's looking wonderful!! Lots of Happy Birthday wishes!! Hip Hip Hooray x 52, and 1 extra for good luck.

Brenda said...

Happy Birthday. Don't sweat about the Jubilee Quilt -- I just finished mine, barely before my 53rd birthday.

Betsy Schneekloth said...

Happy belated, Barb. I am writing this with tears in my eyes. I, too, have many special gifts made by Jill. Your pin cushion is a real treasure.

Mayleen said...

I hope you had a great birthday! Your quilting looks wonderful. I'm not finished with mine either but a few weeks ago, I hung it on my design wall. Maybe I'll get back to it soon! I'm sure you're going to treasure your quilty birthday presents!

Kyle said...

Wishing you a very happy birthday. Your special pincushion was a gift from one heart to another. A sweet treasure, indeed. And your jubilee quilt is lovely. The quilting just brings it alive.

libbyquilter said...

happy birthday~!
what a special gift and it looks like it suits you perfectly~!
i'm so glad that i'm not the only one who is not going to get the jubilee quilt finished in their 50th year. although i think that yours has such an incredible amount of heirloom quality work in it that it's not surprising that it's taking a little longer.
that Nancy Drew fabric is very fun and i can't think of a better quilter to have it as you always find a way to use those interesting prints in fabulous ways~!

:-)
libbyQ

Karen said...

One of the hexies in the pincushion has a baby face.....looks a lot like the Gerber baby. What a special gift. I know you are missing your friend.

I like the Nancy Drew fabric. I read all of her books that were available when I was a child. I don't care for the updated look on the copies of those books that you can buy now. I know they have to appeal to today's reader in order to sell but I like picturing her driving around in her roadster.

Another antique quilt from your friend. She must love you very much!

Aunt 'Reen said...

Happy Birthday!
What an amazing gift that pin cushion is, I'm happy for you to have this from your friend Jill.
Your Jubilee quilt is going to be well worth the wait - beyond gorgeous!
Wonderful antique quilt too.

OPQuilt said...

Happy 52 to a fabulous quilter. Certainly at your tender age, getting the quilt finished is more of an in-progress goal, than a have-to-be-done goal--it is beautiful! I love looking at it. The story of that pincushion reminds me that time is short, and that famous quote from The Vision of Sir Launfal: "All we ever have in life is what we share." What a beautiful gift and a beautiful memory.

Happy Birthday (again)--
Elizabeth

pandchintz said...

Happy (belated!) birthday wishes Barb! And take heart - my jubilee quilt still needs the quilting started!!

Ruth said...

Your jubilee quilt will get finished when it's finished! It is an awesome quilt. What a special pincushion! It is adorable and will always have a place in your heart,

Beth said...

Happy 52! Your jubilee quilt is so beautiful,,,doesn't matter how long it takes. That Nancy Drew fabric is too cute, I couldn't get enough of those mysteries growing up.
The pin cushion is so special. I know you will cherish it always. I can understand why it is a bit bittersweet. Hugs

mocour said...

bonjour pouvez vous me dire ou je peux trouver ce modele qui me plais beaucoup

merci Monique lievin