"Luanne's Quilt" - blue and aqua bargello

Are you tired of this bargello pattern yet?

The pattern is Surf Song by Eileen Wright - found in the book Twist and Turn Bargello you can get it here on Amazon (affiliate link).

I’ve sure made it plenty of times now. It’s so simple - as far as bargellos go - but I like it for so many reasons.

But it’s not THAT important whether or not I like it - the point is that this is a gift…for a couple back in Florida who have given most of their teaching careers/professional lives to teaching in Christian colleges/universities. They both have doctorates - in English.

There’s a little story here. A few years ago Dan and Luanne came to Poland to help us for a couple of weeks. We enjoyed their time here - it was 2008, if I remember right. They attend our home church in central Florida and we’ve known them for years - before they moved to Florida we knew them from Greenville, SC where we also attended the same church!

Amazing. Interestingly enough, before Dan got his PhD, he was my English teacher - when I was a freshman college student in 1979. It was a big class, however, so he wouldn’t have remembered me. (It was a lecture class.)

Some of you know that I do a lot of charity quilts. Many, many of YOU all have helped with them by donating tops and/or fabric or giving money to help me buy batting, etc. Thank you so much.

This pattern looks different from each direction.

But I decided a few years back that I want to do something for the people who are in the ministry somehow - and I wanted to make at least one nice quilt a year for a person/couple in such a situation. Last year I decided that I wanted to give Luanne one as she has been such an encouragement to me/us personally in her own way - I suppose she doesn’t quite realize it - but she is a always a blessing to me! She’s smart (duh!), tech-savvy, gracious, and real!

Anyway, last year when I was in the states, I asked her if she would like a quilt - and she said, very quickly, “YES!” Since blue is her favorite color - she opted for this blue bargello. She has loved this pattern ever since she saw it a few years back when I made it for the first time.

This is my gift quilt for 2020.

I would also like to mention that this little venture into gifting people who don’t expect a quilt but are in the ministry or somehow “give” to others as a lifestyle - has been very rewarding to me personally.

Anyway…Luanne wanted blue and since this pattern calls for a second color - she asked for these sort of aqua colors as the second color.

Throughout the process of making the quilt top and quilting it, I shared the steps with Luanne. I had thought we were going to be heading to the states in a few days for my son’s graduation and then I was going to take it with me.

Ahem…anyway….

I had asked Luanne about the backing and suggested the “kaszubski” floral print that I have that is white based, but she wanted something darker.

I found this nice folk floral - with a navy background - and I bought just what we needed for the quilt. In other words, I didn’t buy 60+ meters wholesale—I bought 3.5 meters from a vender on a local auction site.

But I did finish the quilt - it is quilted the same way I usually do these - straight line quilting with my walking foot along the lines of the design. The only thing I haven’t done yet is a label. I also hope to find enough blue to make a couple of pillowcases. This might be harder to than you think as I’ve really cleaned out a lot of my royal blues! And as you read this, I’m working on the Old World Fantasy mystery in royals and grays! Hmm.

When they came to visit in 2008, Dan gave me this pen - isn’t it a beauty? At the time they both commented that most people won’t pay what such a pen is worth, but at least they can use them as nice gifts!!!! I think we quilters can empathize with this sentiment!

I know that they will appreciate this hand made gift.

Dan makes these pens and made this one for me!!! Imagine how much time this took to make!

I know I’ve made several of these bargellos through the years - but I like each one of them - they always turn out spectacular!

Have a great day wherever you are reading this! Stay safe!

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Be sure to check out what my sis has for you in the store!

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