Love Hugs Back
June 2022

First a disclaimer: I did not make this quilt, my daughters made it as a surprise birthday gift for me! They began earlier this year, working in tandem, using my husband as a courier to pass cut fabric pieces and finished blocks between their two homes. All the while, I never knew that anything was going on — yeap, totally oblivious — which is quite amazing considering we are at each of their homes to hang out and play with our grandkids every week. Also, as a quilter who often tracks random threads from my sewing room all across the house, I am impressed that there was not one thread that gave away that they had been conducting clandestine sewing activities in their homes.

Some of the blocks were designed by my grandkids, some were blocks I’ve made in past quilts, and some are ones from Tula Pink’s City Sampler: 100 Modern Quilt Blocks that they liked. Considering neither of them have made a quilt from start to finish before, I’m in awe of how small some of the pieces are, of how most of the points are pretty dead-on, and of the geometry in some of the blocks, which would give even the most experienced quilter a headache!

I’m going to go ahead and bore most readers with a list of the blocks, as while perhaps not important for others, I want to document it for myself and my family. The blocks were typically not intended as exact replicas of the original quilt, but to provide a resemblance to the original quilt.

• Top row, from left to right:
  • Plumage, July 2021 – gifted to Kimi and Tracy
  • Quiet Start, January 2021 – gifted to Jeff and Miguel
  • #20 Crosses, Tula Pink’s City Sampler: 100 Modern Quilt Blocks
  • Ivy’s design (used tangrams to design)
  • Sticks and Stones block, June 2002 – gifted to Amber (college quilt)
• Second row
  • #7 Crosses, Tula Pink’s City Sampler: 100 Modern Quilt Blocks
  • Phillip, September 2020 (row 5, column 1)
  • Hoplon, March 2019 – gifted to Jamie
  • Country Fair, September 2015
  • Aurora, August 2020 (row 2, column 2)
• Third row
  • Phillip, September 2020 (row 5, column 2)
  • Yellow Lava Pinwheels, October 2013
  • #40 Triangles, Tula Pink’s City Sampler: 100 Modern Quilt Blocks
  • Fancy Fox, July 2020 – gifted to Nolan
  • Persistence, July 2020 (row 6, column 3)
• Forth row
  • #2 Crosses, Tula Pink’s City Sampler: 100 Modern Quilt Blocks
  • Nolan’s design
  • Palahdee, September 2019 (adjusted version)
  • Pocket Full of Monsters, August 2020 – pandemic distance project with Amber & Felix
  • #3 Crosses, Tula Pink’s City Sampler: 100 Modern Quilt Blocks
• Fifth row
  • #55 Triangles, Tula Pink’s City Sampler: 100 Modern Quilt Blocks
  • Firsts, June 2021 – first quilt I ever made, for my first love
  • Opening Day, December 2018 – memory quilt gifted to Ryan
  • Further, May 2021 – gifted to Amber & Skyler
  • Persistence, July 2020 (row 4, column 1)
• Sixth row
  • Sticks and Stones, December 2012 – gifted to Lynn
  • Confused Cupid, November 2012 – gifted to Cathi
  • Felix’s sailboat design
  • It’s a Jungle Out There, June 2014 – gifted to Felix
  • Onshore Breeze, August 2020 – gifted to Ivy

They chose the name. They said that the quilt represents many of the quilts that I’ve made for others, and they wanted to return the “hug”. As I finish writing this post, I am choked-up and tearful as this is the most beautiful and thoughtful gift I have ever received. I’m so thankful for the wonderful family that is mine.