A is for Annabelle Quilt

As most of my blogger friends know, I am a Tasha Tudor fan. I have been since my girls were young and I made my first trip back to Vermont in 2007. I just returned from my 4th trip back for another Tasha event. A is for Annabelle is a sweet alphabet book revolving around a little doll named Annabelle. Most of us have an Annabelle doll and we have developed quite a fine group over the years.

This is Annabelle from the book. She is a French Fashion doll. The event that I just went to was so wonderful. A small group of us were able to meet the doll used as the Annabelle model for the book. The book was published in 1954.

A few years ago, the Tasha Tudor family sold the fabric to honor the book and also put out a quilt kit. My friend Melinda bought the kit and asked me if I would make it. At first I said no, but she did so much for me on my visits back to Vermont, that I agreed. I didn't buy the quilt kit but I did buy a lot of the fabric and may want to make on for myself now!

This is the fabric after I cut it all out and had it labeled to take to a quilt retreat. I actually took it to 2 retreats and spent a great deal of time piecing it.

This is how the kit looked when I brought it home with me in 2015.

You can see the darling fabrics in the set of fat quarters.

This is one of the blocks that I first put together. I had to fussy cut so many pieces for this quilt. It said it was a beginner quilt, but I'm not sure if I would agree.

This photo was from this spring when I finally got all the blocks sewn together and had the top finished. After I got sick last summer, I had to put it away for awhile. When I found out I was going to Vermont in May, I really had to get it all together so my friend Nancy could long arm quilt it for me.

Nancy did an amazing job on it. We chose a busy quilting pattern for the quilt as it really looked old fashion to match the whole thing. This is the label I did for my friend.

This gives you a great look at the overall quilt pattern on the quilt.

I actually gave it to Melinda in our hotel room the night before our event. She was so tired! She was really speechless and delighted. She said she was hoping to snuggle up under it someday in the future with a grandchild. How sweet.

What a gift of love for my friend Melinda. It was quite the project, a learning process and a delight. As I said, now I am so tempted to make on for myself, but not quite yet!