A Maisy Quilt for Christmas

This time last year, in fact on the very day, I shared the "updated" tree skirt I had made. {The pattern is Wonderland by Empty Bobbin.}

I loved the fabrics and somewhat unusual palette of the tree skirt and planned early on in this year that I'd make a lap quilt to coordinate with it. I considered pattern options for quite a while, but when I saw The Maisy Quilt by Karyn of make something (and the workroom) I stopped looking.

Source: makesomething.ca; used by permission.

This was the inspiration for my new quilt. I loved the way the same block was used throughout, yet the center used lighter fabrics, the sides were more medium, and the top and bottom darker. And I thought the pattern would harmonize well with that of the tree skirt.

I started with the dimensions Karyn used, making wonky strip blocks 9 1/2" x 10 1/2", basically working from the center out.

For backing, I chose Aneela Hoey's Cherry Christmas Circle Wreaths Advent Grey, and I am really pleased with the calm it gives the quilt, while still adding a festive touch. Quilting was organic straight-line with my standby Aurifil light gray 50wt. For binding, I used the same Starburst by Alice Kennedy as I used on the tree skirt - still a very favorite fabric. 

 

As I was finishing the quilt, I was debating on a name for it. In my mind, it was a Maisy quilt, and I wrote to Karyn about naming mine after hers. She was totally open to that, but let me know that her original inspiration came from Denyse Schmidt's book Denyse Schmidt Quilts, and her 'Hop, Skip & a Jump' quilt. And boy was I surprised at all the HSJ quilts out there! I made a flickr gallery with several I found - see here. And I even found an online tutorial by Denyse for a similar quilt here.

In the end, none of the HSJ quilts I saw had the same sense of value that drew me to the Maisy in the first place.

So Maisy it is.

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday. This quilt was also on my fourth quarter Finish-A-Long list!