"It's the Guitar Man" Quilt

Memories got into my head...well...new ones did... and I decided to make a quilt for each of my siblings...1 younger sister and 2 older brothers. I wanted to make the quilt with a theme about them that I remember of them. So...first thing that hit me was my first oldest brother... he taught himself to play the guitar in high school, and now retired... can play Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana to shame! And I am not bias. He is that good.

Well, anyway, I searched a bunch of  internet fabric shops  looking for "realistic" looking guitar theme fabric. I found these four nice prints... realistic looking and 4 different style of guitar. I got half yard of each...that fabric online is not cheap!

I spent a couple days comparing and designing and looking for a good couple of contrasting colors that would go with all the prints....blues, blacks, browns....and not wanting the quilt to be really dark... I chose a gold and a blue and make a 12 patch block to go with the same size guitar print block.

 
I sewed 2,1/2" strips of each color together and then cut 2,1'2" sections, then sewed 6 of those together alternating the gold and blue to make a nice 4"x12" checkerboard block.  I cut the guitar fabric specifically to get the most guitars in the 8"x12" block. I ended up with 3 guitar prints, and one "music" theme print with some notes, sheet music and a few different instruments....all of which he plays. I needed a little something to break up the business...so I added brown sashing....but only one way because I didn't want everything to far separated. Also a brown final 2" border all around with a blue binding

On the back.. I use a flannel and a fleece....black staff and notes on white and white notes on black. I used a very thin cotton/poly blend batting and used blue for the binding. The quilt is about 60"x80" in size.

 

I made a unique label for it. I wanted my brother to know what him and his talent meant to me, but also...I wanted him to have the memories of his years of playing guitar. Back in the 1970's... The group Bread had a song called "Guitar Man".  I remember that song back in the day and it always made me think of my brother...trying so hard to "break" into the music circuit, always playing his heart out...hoping for more, but never quite making it. The song was perfect description of my brother. So I used computer fabric paper and made a label with some of the song lyrics, then "signed" it. I made an applique of one of the guitars and attached that to the label to the corner of the back.

I sent the quilt to him "un-announced". He emailed me and hardly had words to say he was so moved and pleased by the surprise.  He did later say that he hung it on the wall above his bed so he could see it all the time, because he didn't have the heart to USE such a beautiful and special gift.  Pass the box of tissues!

My next quilt is a cat quilt for my sister...she has always loved cats. My other older brother.. he loved chess but I have not been able to find any chess theme fabric in my many searches yet.


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Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing those memories!
                                                                                     


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