Friday, November 4, 2016

Friday Finish: Books for Ella

This quilt has been a long time coming, so expect this to be a picture heavy post.

This is Ella. She came into our family at three months of age from the county social services system. Our son and daughter-in-law, Aaron and Christa, are wonderful parents with huge and loving hearts, and from the beginning it was their hope that the placement would eventually end with Ella being adopted.
There were ups and downs along the way, lots of ups and downs, and many times of uncertainty as to the final outcome, but nearly a year ago, shortly before her 2nd birthday, with many friends and family in attendance, Ella Jane Wiens became an official and forever member of our family.

I've made quilts for each of the grandchildren.

We are a family of readers. After seeing Ayumi's Books for Baby block in her book, Patchwork Please!, I knew that was the quilt I wanted to make for Ella.

At the same time, it was my turn to request blocks from two different bee groups, the Mid Century Modern bee, and the Sew Sisters bee. I only requested one book block from each member, but for some reason, several of my bee mates, many of whom had followed this nearly two-year journey with us, made more than one block.

Blocks started arriving in the mail.



Several friends who were no longer part of these bees, or had never been in a bee with me but knew Ella's story, asked if they could make blocks too. In fact, there were so many cute blocks that I only made two myself!
It was overwhelming. Some even did extra special fussy cutting for that little sliver of text at the top of the book, special messages if you look closely.



As soon as I saw Megan's (@lushknit) Books for Baby quilt on Instagram, I knew how the blocks needed to be framed and sashed.
One of the two blocks made by me
She was kind enough to let me copy her quilt, and oddly enough I had the same fabric in my stash that she had used.
Several months ago, Amy invited me to be part of a blog hop as her new book, Intentional Piecing, had just been published. She chose  the "Tell Me a Story Quilt," where each block can tell a little story with some fussy cutting. I decided to make 12 blocks, intentionally choosing fabric that would represent me, so Ella would know a little more about me. If she looks closely at the blocks, she will know that I love art, drink a lot of coffee, play the piano, love to read, think a day at Disneyland is the best, love opening snail mail, like to knit and crochet, would prefer to dress nearly always in denim, love to sew, like to eat pizza and Mexican food, prefer real clocks and watches, and love rainy days.

Also, nearly all my friends sent signature blocks so I added them around the story blocks.
As soon as I saw this backing fabric, I knew it was the perfect choice for this quilt, with words like family, friends, warmth, love, and most especially, chosen.
I used two blocks made by special friend, Carla (@lollyquiltz), for the label, and added names of contributors who hadn't made a signature block.
I finished the binding the other day, and took it to the children's section of one of the local libraries for a couple of photographs.



I can't imagine our family without this special little girl.

She is so dearly loved. The warmth and generosity of my friends has made me feel cared for beyond measure. Words can't begin to express my thanks to every single one of you who contributed to this very special quilt.

I'm linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts, TGIFF, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and Fort Worth Fabric Studio.

28 comments:

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Paula Louceiro said... #

What a beautiful story.
I can feel the love in this quilt.
Every block is special.
Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend!

Ariane said... #

I love your quilt! But the story is even better. Thanks for sharing it with us!!

Alison V. said... #

This is so wonderful! I am so happy that she was able to find her forever family with your family! :)

Robby said... #

Yes, the only thing better than that quilt is the story of the warmth and love that surround this little girl. My hope is that whenever she sees that quilt she knows she is loved and valued by many. Great finish to this special project.

Grandma G said... #

What a treasure of a quilt... and such a wonderful story behind it!

Carla said... #

What a great (and emotional) post Cindy. I'm so glad this story has a happy ending. So privileged to be part of it too. We have a young couple here in town in the same situation. I am praying for a happy ending there too ; )

Needled Mom said... #

It turned out beautifully, Cindy. I loved seeing the photos of the family and ready the touching story. I know that each one of those blocks is filled with prayer and good wishes for Ella.

felicity said... #

I'm so honoured to be part of this beautiful story!

Tu-Na Quilts said... #

I enjoyed reading your lovely story. Your quilt will be a treasure for many many years.

carolg said... #

Oh, Cindy, how beautiful. Crying at my desk reading the little fussy cut words. What a lucky, lucky little girl.

Amy Friend said... #

It's such a perfect quilt. I am so happy that Ella has found her way into your family.

Cathy said... #

What an amazing quilt and an even more amazing story! Congrats on Ella!!!

Leanne Parsons said... #

What a beautiful story, both for little Ella and for you and the quilt! That quilt block is fantastic, and makes for such a fun quilt. I bet Ella will feel the love from it for many years to come :)

www.randomthoughtsdoordi.com said... #

What s beautiful and meaningful quilt.

Bonnie said... #

What a gift your family and Ella received! Having adopted our son 37 years ago, I well remember the joy of that official adoption day! Praising the Lord with you. AND, the quilt is a gift to be treasured for years to come. Bonnie

Rachel said... #

I'm so glad your adoption story had a happy ending! And I love the stories on the quilt too! Lovely covers, and the word details inside the books are awesome!

Linda said... #

Oh Cindy heart-warming is the only way to describe this post. Happy tears in my eyes.

Nancy said... #

What a lovely post. The quilt is wonderful and Ella has so many people wrapping her in hugs when she uses it.

Mary said... #

This brought tears to my eyes - so much love and proves that the more you love, the better life is. I have been so worried and upset with this election season so this is what I needed to read to put life back in perspective. Thank you!

Susan said... #

What a lovely story Cindy! Ella is so lucky to be blessed by such a beautiful family (and quilt!) I am so happy to have played a small part in this quilt. Maybe one day she will come to Australia and see magpies for herself!

Carla said... #

Oh, my goodness. Darling girl! Special quilt! Wonderful post! You made my day putting my blocks as the label...love to you!

Charlotte M. said... #

How special and such a heart warming story. Thank you for sharing all this.

Heidi Grohs said... #

Just. Perfection.

Debbie said... #

This turned out so lovely! Thankful for the blessing of Ella in your family!

Mary Marcotte said... #

What a special quilt, a special story, and a very special little girl. We have two adopted children in our family, so I understand how special and loved your little one is. Your family is beautiful!

OPQuilt said... #

What a great story, and a great quilt to commemorate this!

Anne said... #

Aaron and Christa are just two of many unsung heroes who walk among us. They opened their hearts and look at all the love they get in return! God bless all!

Unknown said... #
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