I was Hive 1's March queen this year and it was my very first bee ever!
I really was excited by this adventure as I had wanted to join a bee for months but couldn't find any (it wasn't the right period of the year! :D ).
Choosing a block wasn't easy. There are so many beautiful blocks around the internet.... Choosing the colors was easier as I always end up buying the same colors i'm addicted to :-/ I went for the "treasurehunt block" .
I also asked for the same block in another bee I joined this year. I was planning for a rather big quilt, not nowing what i would do with it... I would have time later to figure this out. I loved the pattern and the colors I chose, that was the most important!
In early june my dad was diagnosed with a cancer reccurence. It meant chimio/ hospital/ sickness and weakness all over again :( I immediatly thought about sewing him a quilt to brighten up the difficult days ahead. So I began to think about a pattern and colors that would be cheerful yet masculine.
The plan was to move fast to be able to give him the quilt for his 60'th birthday on august 10th.
Then the idea came to me that my soon to be bee quilt would be the perfect quilt for a comfort quilt!
What greater energy could I find than all the friendly energy people from all around the world had put in choosing the right fabrics and then sewing beautiful blocks especially for me?
Luckily I had asked for the same block in my other bee for the month of june. I might have enough time to finish the quilt on time for the birthday!
Sadly a block got stuck in the mail and I only received it when I came home from seing my parents mid august. I started the quilt right away!
It was a whole new exercise to plan a layout with blocks made out from several stashes. All the blocks were beautiful individually but they did not always work together! :D The colors wouldn't match or sometimes the size.
I finally came out with a layout for the front and the back.
I had to change my initial backing plans as it was way too girly for my dad :D
And then it was quilting time! I wanted to practice freemotion but didn't want it to be too girly as well.
I spent a few days on it enjoying every minute , every fabric I quilted (some I didn't notice before, since I received so many blocks :D ). And I thought about my dad all along the process. It was like a special moment between the quilt, my dad and me .
When it was all finished, on the first days of september, I decided to mail it right away to my dad because I was too impatient and I couldn't wait until my next visit to give it to him. It meant that I wouldn't see the look on his face when he would discover the quilt... but well I'm an impatient person, what can I do about that! :D
I sent him a note with it explaining the fact that ladies from around the world had contributed to his quilt, and that I hoped that all these good vibes added to my love would cheer him up on grayer days.
My mom told me he got all emotional :) and he liked the quilt so much that he decided to put it on their bed instead of his armchair so it would not get dirty :D
I went to visit them on september 22nd for the week end and he gave me a big hug. I think he really liked his present!
A few days later he got a small infection and due to his compromised immune system, things went very fast and he died the very next day on september 29th.
He only used his quilt for a few weeks, but at least I hope it felt as if I was next to him. I'm so glad it's this particular quilt I decided to give him. My "friendship treasurehunt quilt".
Oph
@QuiltOph
