My sewing room stayed quite busy last fall, and I loved spending a lot of time in there creating special gifts for special people! This post is to finally document those quilts that I couldn't post about until they were gifted.
Quilt #1: Handmade with Love pattern by Thimble Blossoms 
This was such a fun, fun quilt to make! There were 20 different packages...and bows on top of each. I bought the quilt as a kit so the fabric choices were already made for me, but this quilt could also be made using various scraps making colorful celebration gifts rather than Christmas themed packages:
Here are all the blocks laid out which equaled a 74x75 quilt. This is where I usually sandwich quilts...living room = project room: 
Since this was a Christmas gift for a special friend, I wanted to have a long-arm quilter quilt it for me. It's the first time I've ever had long-arm quilting done so I was excited to see how it would turn out!
Day trip excursion to The Quiltery in Fairfield....such a nice little shop in a quaint little town. Loved seeing the porch decorations! Maureen promised me she could have it ready the week after Thanksgiving, which worked out just fine: 
She chose this holly and berries pattern to go with the Christmas theme: 
Thanks to my hidden, but nifty, quilt holder-upper! I've sewn on the binding and washed the quilt to make it all crinkly. It's ready for gift giving! 
Usually every December we meet as a foursome with our friends, Fred and Chris. This year we met again at Whole Foods Food Court for lunch and exchanging gifts. Here's Chris opening the box, having no idea there's a quilt inside: 
And now she knows it's a quilt just for her! She loves it! Mission accomplished! 
Holding up the quilt together--success!: 
Quilt #2: Pumpkin Seeds by Pattern Basket
Sarah asked for some decorative fall pillows for Christmas since she's a lover of holidays and seasons. So in addition to finding her some pumpkin pillows, I decided to make her a pumpkin quilt to decorate the back of her sofa for the fall season.
Here's my first pumpkin block. I absolutely love that the pattern makes a white star in each pumpkin: 
And then there were 5 little pumpkins... 
Here's a view from my sewing table....there are the 5 pumpkins up on the design wall. And on the table I'm auditioning the next set of oranges that I'll use. I love that design wall...it's great incentive to keep going to add to my quilt: 
The pumpkins are all finished and being sandwiched together for quilting. I decided to straight line quilt this since it was a smaller quilt, plus other quilters online making this same pumpkin pattern suggested straight line as a good method.
Two things to notice in the picture below. First, of the 12 orange pumpkins I decided to switch-a-roo a bit and make one white with an orange star. I love it! 
The second thing to notice above...any guesses? There's a bed headboard in the living room. Tom has been making a bed for Hannah for the past several months. Our living room/project room is the landing place until he's ready for staining. Okay. No problem.
Here's the last picture I have showing a portion of the quilt labeled and quilted with a soft minky backing. I packaged the quilt and brought it with us to Atlanta at Thanksgiving and put it under Sarah's tree. We were able to watch her open it using Skype on Christmas Eve. I think she liked it! 
Quilt #3: And the third quilt I already wrote about in a recent post when we welcomed a new grandson in November:
With so much activity in the sewing room this fall, I have to say that I haven't even been tempted to sit down and sew....just needed a break! Until this week....
Plus 1: I just brought out the Sewing a Village 132 houses that I finished back in early summer when I participated in a quilt-along with Stitch Supply Company. The top was completed on time but was set aside for awhile.
I don't think I ever posted about this quilt on the blog...only photos on Instagram last spring:
And, drum roll....this quilt will actually not be gifted! I decided to keep this one for myself, so there wasn't a rush to finish it. It will have a minky backing, and I'll do vertical straight-line quilting. There are so many different fabrics and just as many memories attached to some of these houses. I will enjoy this first quilt for me!
Thanks for reading about my projects!
"As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God...so that in all things God may be glorified." ~ I Peter 4:10-11
~Deb
All your quilts are so beautiful! Glad you are keeping one for yourself. :)
Posted by: victoria | Thursday, February 07, 2019 at 06:16 PM
Hi Deb! You are blessed with such an amazing talent! Your quilts are stunning. Congratulations on the new grandbaby : ) I have followed your blog for so many years, what a blessing and encouragement!
Blessings,
Sharon
Posted by: Sharon | Friday, February 08, 2019 at 06:05 AM
They are gorgeous! I only had one small quilt left from when I did some quilting, a crib quilt I made for my son, I gave it to them when Piper was born.
I've been reading Karen Andreola's new book called Mother Culture to review soon. I'm just waiting for the second printing to be available. She mentions in it how she has learned to work on multiple projects at once and one of them was to cut out and sew three baby quilts when she needed just one. I never though of that! She had the quilt she needed for a gift and two others made in a fraction of the time three would take individually.
Yours are lovely! What talent you have.
Posted by: Brenda Nuland | Friday, February 08, 2019 at 12:16 PM
Deb, all your quilts are so beautiful and unusual! I love the idea of the minky backing - makes it so warm and comfy. I've never done any quilting and really admire anyone with the patience to do it.
Love your sewing room also.
Posted by: Barbara J. | Friday, February 08, 2019 at 03:31 PM
Deb, your quilts are so so pretty.. You did a great job. I have always thought homemade quilts were so so pretty. I love when and and Hannah post about sewing and cooking and, well all the posts. They are a blessing to me. I have never done quilting before. One day if the Lord is willing I would like to do some.
Posted by: Doris Epps | Saturday, February 09, 2019 at 10:05 AM
The quilting talent of Deb Girotti is gorgeous!
Posted by: Tammy C | Saturday, February 09, 2019 at 11:04 AM
Spectacular quilts!! What a blessing. I love the pic of your friend's face when she saw your beautiful gift....for HER! You are such a thoughtful friend.
I still enjoy our Texas tablerunner you made for us years ago. Think of you everytime I see it.
So nice to see your beautiful family growing. God IS good!!!
Posted by: Krista Ehlinger | Tuesday, February 12, 2019 at 04:41 PM
The quilts are lovely. I adore your fabric choices. I think the baby's Quilt is my favorite. It has a vintage feel to it.
Posted by: Kim C | Wednesday, February 13, 2019 at 11:41 AM
Woohoo! Your quilt posts are always my favorite. :) I love quilting...piecing is more of a love/hate affair. I love it when it's going well and hate it the rest of the time. ;) The pumpkin one is fun, but I LOVE the top one. You do beautiful work! :)
Posted by: Holly | Wednesday, February 13, 2019 at 07:29 PM
Oh my! I read this post and remembered the surprise and deep sense of appreciation and love I felt. This quilt means so much because I KNOW how much work goes into quilts, not to mention you knew I was trying to get a Christmas quilt made and it just wasn't happening. :) Thank you dear sweet friend! It looks wonderful on our guest room bed and now hangs proudly on the quilt rack, a sweet reminder everyday I see it of your love and our friendship! Hugs and kisses to you!!
Posted by: Chris | Tuesday, March 05, 2019 at 12:35 PM