Dec 18: Whisper What You'll Bring to Me

I'm not one for big surprises. It shows in my gift giving. I really like to give someone something they want. I've had good and bad experiences with surprise gifts given to me, and I would like to err on the side of the receiver being happy.

That said, one of the best surprises I ever pulled off for Christmas was this quilt for Debra: 

Road to Oklahoma, Fabric by Debbie Mumm

I made it in 1995, and it was the first quilt I made from really nice fabric. It was pure joy to work with. So I don't know what happened, but somehow I lost steam and decided I was tired of the quilt and didn't want to finish it. I told Debby I was going to give it away (the top wasn't even finished yet). She was horrified and said she wanted it. I told her that was too bad for her.

After some debate with myself, I decided to finish the quilt and give it to her for Christmas. I really wanted it to be a surprise. I called my friend Michelle who had moved to California and asked her if she had ever finished her quilt top that was just like mine. She had not. So she sent me her quilt top that I could use as a decoy. I hung  Michelle's quilt top in my closet, folded over a hanger. It was right there for anyone to see. Meanwhile I had to hunt to find enough backing to match the quilt and get the quilt finished. I got it done, wrapped it, and put it under the tree. Christmas morning I saved that present for last. When Debby opened it, she was astonished. "You must have stayed up all night to finish it!", she said. I laughed and said, "Go look in my closet." She did and Michelle's quilt was still there, just like it was the day before when Debby checked on it. It was a great surprise!

Over the years I've given my children several Christmas quilts and quilted decorations. This year I made Christmas tree skirts for each of them. I should say this year I finished the tree skirts. I started them a couple of years ago. They weren't a big surprise, but everyone likes them. That's what really matters. If you get some surprise out of it too, so much the better.

Completed: December 2011
Size: about 40 inches X 40 inches.
Pattern: Log Cabin Christmas Star No. 10 A Christmas Tree Skirt Pattern by Anita Peluso
Fabric: All from my stash, scrap reds and whites.

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas - anonymous