A Patchwork Birthday!

Like many with adult children, I often find gift giving difficult.  As adults they are self-sufficient, so gifts from me are usually simple and often handmade.

Sister has a September birthday!  I celebrated by making her three patchwork pillows for her couch.

For her 5th birthday she had received a new baby brother!  Yes ... her name is Elsa!  As a child and teenager she complained about being given an "old lady" name!  None of us ever imagined that she would one day share that name with a Disney Princess!  We refer to Sister as the "Original Princess Elsa"!  And yes ... that is a Daisy Kingdom dress that I made specifically for her big day!  Oh ... how we loved that company and everything they designed!

While visiting her this summer I saw that they were using pillows that I had made for them in the past!  Makes my heart so happy when I see people using the things I have made for them!  My dillydally spirit soars!

Their couch is a beautiful blue velvet ... as seen here in this photo.  Hmmm ... my wheels began turning!

In 2016-17 I had pieced this "Winter Lights" quilt ...

... Sherri Falls had taught from her Holiday Wishes book (can be found here) at our guild's 30th Anniversary event (can check it out here) in the summer of 2016!

I fell in love with piecing this block and envision it in many different colorways!

Sister lives in southern California ... I love the sunsets there ... so I based my fabric choices on that color palette! 

Two blocks quickly became two pillows! 

While visiting her, I discovered that she really enjoyed the use of pineapples in home decor!  I came across this pattern by Elizabeth Hartman and just had to make her a pillow!

I used the warm colored fabrics from the stars!  Here I am auditioning backgrounds!

What a fun pattern to piece!  I foresee more pineapple patchwork in my future!  I ended up choosing the lighter background because it had a broader range of soft colors in it ... the blue was just too monochromatic for me!

Done!  I kept the quilting simple ... stitch in the ditch around the piecing and simple horizontal lines!

Here are all three ... on my couch ... ready to travel to California!

I was able to visit Sister twice this summer ... I treasure every moment with her!  She has grown into a competent, intelligent and extremely capable woman ...

... but each time I look at her ... this is what a see.  A five-year-old ballerina wearing knee high socks!

Do what you love!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally