Finished Flamingos, Finally!

Florence Flamingo

I can hardly believe it, but I have finished the flamingo quilt I started for my mom last December.  I’ve blogged about it a few times.
I started this quilt shortly after my mom was diagnosed with cancer last winter.  It was meant to keep her cozy during chemotherapy and radiation treatments.  I was very excited to start, but this is a complicated quilt, and I took a long time to finish it.
I could continue to make excuses, but instead I’m just going to show off my work.
img_52421.jpgOh, yes, and my mom is doing quite well.  After genetic testing they determined she didn’t need chemotherapy or radiation this time around.  This was her second bout with cancer.  By no means did she have an easy year, but it definitely wasn’t the year we expected.  Cancer treatment has changed so much in the past 20 years.  It is really amazing.  Best of all, I get to keep my mom – I’m not done with her yet.
This quilt is a pattern from Elizabeth Hartman.  It is a lot of fun, but also quite complicated.  I would suggest doing one flamingo at a time, rather than cutting all of them out at once.  Keeping track of so many pieces is tough.   My fabric inspiration was my collection of Alison Glass Sunprints, I believe it was the 2016 collection.  I did fill in here and there with some muted prints from my stash, if the AG prints weren’t all there in the range I wanted.  The background is a few different greys, because I don’t always pay enough attention to directions.

I bound it in Alison Glass Ex Libris.  The colors just work so nicely together, and I didn’t have to pick just one.
IMG_5246.jpgYou can read about my backing print here.  I designed my own fabric, which has been fairly popular on Spoonflower.  I am surprised every time someone buys it.  I’m also a little sad.  I like making money, but I wish there was no need for fabric with this message.
IMG_5243.jpgI quilted this piece on Darla, my Gammill Longarm.  I used two battings to get this crazy definition.  I used a Hobbes 80/20 blend, with a Hobbes wool batting on top.  It is a little heavier than usual, but not by as much as you might expect.  I did a lot of free motion work, and a little bit with my rulers.

I found a cool N and was able to use it on the quilt.  I just used my rulers to mark out the lines on the N, and free handed the scrolls and other elements in the letter.  I like how well it turned out.
I still have to label it and put on a hanging sleeve.  Mom doesn’t want the quilt just yet.  I’ve been commanded to show it off.  It will be making an appearance at the Rebecca’s Reel quilt show in May and the Eastern States Exposition in the fall.  After that, who knows?

30 thoughts on “Finished Flamingos, Finally!

  1. This is stunning; congratulations on the finish but even better news about your mom’s health. I hope that she has a peaceful 2018 and is able to enjoy the quilt after it is done being shown off for many, many years to come!

  2. Fantastic finish, faithful friend! Also, I like your alliteration.
    I’m very glad your mom is ok. I would do anything to talk to mine again. Hug her for me and thank her for being there because all moms need a hug.
    Your flamingos really are fabulous. Your quilting is stunning. Your feathers have really developed amazing flow. You’re a real quilter!

  3. I love these colourful flamingos and I’m glad your mom is doing well. 2918 is just round the corner so I’m already looking forward to the beautiful projects you share next year c

  4. The quilt turned out so lovely! I have loved seeing the progress of these guys! My favorite is the teal in the middle row! 😀 And the quilting on it is so beautiful as well! Great Job!

  5. I made this quilt as well and it was tough going. I made one flamingo at a time as well. The cutting out took forever.

  6. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your Flamingo Quilt. It is quite Lovely, and Beautiful. Be very proud!

  7. Hi Jen, I am new to your blog and absolutely LOVE your version of the Flamingo Quilt designed by Elizabeth Hartman. The fabrics you choose to use and the Free Motion Quilting really both made the quilt. I hope you are thrilled with it and extremely proud. I just finished my first “Elizabeth Hartman” pattern, the Unicorn Quilt, for a little girl that I know and she loved it. It made my heart “sing”. While I was glancing through the Unicorn pattern and flipped the pages to the “cut out the fabrics page”, I slammed the pattern shut and didn’t look at it again for at least a month. Once I slowly read through the cutting instructions it all made sense. The “deal” with her patterns is that you MUST stay totally organized and label every piece of fabric that you cut or you will become totally lost never to return to a place of sanity. That simple understanding made the process so enjoyable for me. I think that the Flamingo Quilt will be my next “Hartman” pattern to tackle after looking at your fabulous quilt.

    1. Thanks so much! Yes, organizing yourself is key. I also finds it helps to have a space where you can put the cut pieces where they won’t be moved.

      1. Hi Jen, you are 100% correct that the space is a huge plus. I have two tables set up in a L shape where one is for my sewing/quilting and on the same table at the end is used for cutting fabrics. The other table is used for organization, laying out blocks, etc. Behind my back is my ironing board so I hardly have to move. I have lowered my ironing board to a level where I don’t have to get up from my chair. It works really great for me.

        1. Hi, Deborah – I’m not sure if you are serious about this request, so I will answer you as if you are. First, thank you for appreciating my work so much that you would want a piece in your home. Secondly, no, I won’t make you one. I don’t take commissioned projects anymore. There are quilters who will take on projects like this, but I find that making quilts for others saps the joy from the experience for me.

    1. Thanks, Meagan! That’s my first time having one of my images stolen. I feel like I’ve reached the next level of success.

Leave a Reply