My quilting year

The Christmas visitors have gone and, being home alone, I decided to watch some television. Every programme seems to be a round-up of the year's something or other (the sort of thing they used to do on New Year's Eve but, like most things now, it starts weeks ahead of the year's end), so I thought I might do a little rounding-up of my own year's activities, starting with my efforts at quilt-making.Early in the year, with the first grandchild on the way, I had to try my hand at making cot quilts and a play mat.
These are the ones that I made for Amelia.
Then my niece had a baby girl and I made her a butterfly mat.

At the same time as making these little quilts, I was involved in my most ambitious project to date: a king-sized quilt for my daughter and her husband. I spent the whole year making nine-patch squares from fabrics with a variety of themes, some literary, some nostalgic and some because I liked the colours. Then I had to find plain fabrics to complete the colour strips. I pieced it all by hand and started the quilting in November.

Tanith and Peter were delighted when they opened it on Christmas Day.

This is my first attempt at real quilting and I'm pleased with the design in the plain squares. I wonder what my needlecraft teacher would think of it? She suggested, quite kindly but in an exasperated sort of way, that I should concentrate on academic subjects when I was about 13 years old. I dare say she would point out all the flaws and blemishes but at least she isn't here to make me unpick it all and start again!