A Young Princess quilt

When I was closing out my quilting business, my friend and customer Ellen asked if I would still do a project she had discussed with me earlier, and I said of course I would.  It was a two-sided quilt she had made early in her quilting life, for her youngest granddaughter, who has grown up a lot in the decade or so since.

The quilts were originally tied together, which was a fine solution for a two sided quilt, but Ellen decided she'd like them quilted.  When I show the second one (which won't be for a while) you'll see why we decided they would be better as two separate quilts.

 

 

Ellen is still making quilts with photographs, though her work these days is more in the Art Quilt realm.  She now enhances her photos with fabric paint - but these photos don't need enhancing.  I think she paid to have them professionally printed - there's a business label lower left.  You can see how vibrant the color is in this closeup.

 

The feathered rays idea jumped out at me when I saw the layout of the quilt - but I didn't know how I was going to quilt the bejeweled crown.  Happily, the design worked itself out on my first try - I'm not sure the lame fabric would have taken well to reverse-sewing.

I didn't want to quilt the photographs but they are a little large to be left unquilted even with the poly batting I used to provide good loft.  There's a minimal amount of quilting around the edges of Baby Elizabeth, and occasionally on a seam or decorative element of clothing - you never leave a space larger than your fist unquilted.