So now we’re into tricky territory with my homemade elfing. I’m starting to work on gifts for people who might actually read this blog. So I will have to be carefully vague about any details that would reveal the recipients from now on.

I’ll say that this blanket is for person “A.” I was looking at a totally unrelated pattern for crazy quilt blocks, and it mentioned making enough quilt blocks for various size quilts. One of the sizes it mentioned was “picnic,” and I decided that this would be the perfect, easy, gift for A. I immediately decided the top had to be yellow. No idea why, but that was the first decision I made. Before I even dug through my fabric stash, I knew this would be yellow. I guess it just seems sunny and picnic-worthy for A, so that’s what I did. And I finally found a use for the random citrus fruit fabric I’d bought months ago. I had to have it but had no idea what I would do with it. It was destined for picnic greatness.

The finished blanket is 53″ x 55″, and I used a solid burgundy fabric for the backing. I also used a low loft batting. I wanted it to be soft, but not fluffy like a comforter. For the actual quilting I just stitched in the ditch with yellow thread, which looks very cool on the dark background and saved me time maneuvering the quilt into a more elaborate pattern. I am still a relative novice, so there is some puckering near the quilted seams. This is the biggest thing I have ever machine quilted, so I had a few growing pains. But I think it gives it a certain charm, and I know that A likes things that have character.

I’ve posted my Picnic Blanket How To here. On to the next gift!