Pineapple Blossom Takes Flight quilt

This morning I have been trying again to access the pictures to embed a slideshow, with no success.  But I came across this photo and thought I would share it with you.  This is the quilt that I entered in the quilt show and won a 2nd prize ribbon.  It was the first and so far the only quilt show I entered into.  The show was 2009 Off the Wall and Under the Covers with the Mississauga Quilters' Guild (Ontario, Canada) and the 2nd prize was in the category of Best First Time Entry.

This was the attached caption:

Pineapple Blossoms Take Flight

I love scrappy quilts.  When I kept seeing quilts done using the block 'pineapple blossom', I decided I needed to make one,  however I did not want a plain border as the others.  I got my inspiration from the block on how to design the border.  A gift for my step-son, as a Christmas gift.

Owned by Brett Jenkins

I remember making this quilt and all the different fabrics. Another great way to use up your scraps.  As I think back to that time, I envision Brett on the coach at my parent's house where we all got together on Christmas day to open presents.  His fiancée Jeanette sitting beside him and the shocked look on his face.  His face looked even more shocked with bewilderment when I asked for the quilt back.  He didn't know what to say, until he laughed after I told him that I wanted it back just for a little bit so that I could put the quilt into the show.  Can you imagine the surprise for Brett and Jeanette when I told them that their quilt won a ribbon.

The second scene that ran through my head from during this time was Christmas Eve sewing into the night and through to the morning trying to finish the quilt in time to gift it on Christmas day.  It became a family affair when hubby and the kids woke up and realized I was still trying to finish the quilt. Someone got the box and wrapping paper ready someone else started inspecting the quilt to remove any loose threads or dog hair. Everyone doing what they could. I sewed the binding on by machine, and while everyone was opening presents at our own home I was finishing the binding by hand.  Later while I went for a shower my daughter wrapped the present.  We made it to my parent's house just in time.

Nothing like last minute rushing around to get the blood rushing.  It's not like I left it to the last minute, but more a matter of under estimating the amount of time it takes to make a quilt from start to finish.  I find that I do it often, under estimate time.

This quilt and the next quilt were the first two quilts I actually gave away to family.  Up until this point, all the quilts that I made went to charities through the guild or through Project Linus.  It gave me pleasure to give these quilts away to family.  This next quilt was a Guild Mystery quilt.  More about this quilt another day.