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! 

Gathering Fabric on my New England Trip

I am a total fabric nut! I love fabric...vintage fabric, new fabric, recycled fabric, estate sale fabric, antique store fabric...you name it,! I can assure you that i am going to look at it and probably be tempted to rescue it or buy it and just take it home with me. I adore fabric.

A year ago, my friend Melinda talked with me about making her A is for Annabelle quilt. She has been so kind to me, so I decided to offer to make her quilt for her when I was visiting again this year. She agreed to send it home with me and I hope to work on it this winter. The fabrics were made by the RJR fabric company for the Tasha Tudor family. The sweet fabrics are just darling. I missed getting a kit for myself, but I have been buying fabric when I can find it, so I hope to make my own quilt in the future. I actually have an idea roaming around in my head.

This is a close up of the a quilt that someone posted on Pinterest of the quilt. Pretty cute.

This is what the finished quilt will look like using the kit. It should be fun and I don't think it will be too hard. Yes, I do have a BIG winter project ahead. Yeah....

When I was shopping at the Rookery, the Tasha tudor gift store, I asked if they had any fabric. They had a bit upstairs, but I had to wait for all the shoppers to be checked out before they could take me upstairs to look at what they had in stock. I was happy to wait. This is what I was able to get! Not all of it is from the A is for Annabelle collection, but I bought what I liked.

 As Jim and I traveled on through Vermont after the Tasha Tudor event, we stopped at the Norton House quilt shop. I did get to stop there last year and it was the only quilt shop I got to go to on our trip. I couldn't resist a variety of fall fabric...another weakness. This is a beautiful fat quarter packet I bought.

I was really excited to find this pattern. I have been looking for a cute pillow pattern that would allow me to use a vintage or new embroidered center. This is perfect!

 I found a neat printed set to do some embroidery work in turkey red...great for a small wall hanging, pillows or small quilt.

I also found this cute little pattern for Ms Mouse. I just liked it and thought it would be a fun project.

We visited a lot of antique shops on our trip too and I found these two coordinating fabrics in a dollar bin. They aren't old, but I just liked the colors and the print.

I found this piece of fabric at the same shop...just so Deerfield!

 One of the antique shop had this lovely set of vintage quilt blocks, all sewn by hand. I always want to rescue quilt blocks. The colors are too cool.

I also love little dolly quilts. This little charmer just jumped into my arms.  I do love this time period too.

This is a little pillow sham made during the 30's or 40's. It's a Dresden plate, sewn on with a black blanket stitch. Theses fabrics make me happy!

So as you can see, I found a nice assortment of fabric on my trip. I think I should be set for awhile.

Don't forge to pop over to the my friend Heather's blog if you are interested in Tasha Tudor. Her button is on my sidebar.