Pop's Crossing {Quilt}

Choo! Choo!

This quilt is for Pops, my dad.  No, not one of the boys.  Not a nephew.  Not a friend's child.

For my dad!  He is an AVID train hobbyist.  You know those model train set ups around Christmas time?  The kind that a group of men don't just build a train layout, they try to replicate an actual town and actual running train?

I could go on and on, but I will spare you!  We can just say that I have very fond memories for trains and hobby shops (all the teeny tiny things behind glass cabinets).  I felt that the quilt for him had to be train related.  I started out looking for train patterns and every single one was either very juvenile or in the "art quilt" classification that I could just never pull off. 

I was also going to do his favorite railroad logos like above (and still may do some throw pillows for him) but it seemed complicated when I only had a few weeks left to cut, piece and quilt.  When I first ventured into this idea, I had thought of using a railroad sign, but had tossed it.  But then ironically came right back to it two weeks ago when I decided that I was running out of time.

 

It was a very impromptu patchwork, slicing, appliqueing job.

The quilting.  Oh the quilting.  I surprised myself.  I put the quilt on and just pictured smokey swirls coming out of a steam engine.   I'm not exactly sure if that is what came across, but I really enjoyed the end result.

I did some organic swirls on the crossbars and pebbles on the Rs in black.  Then I ran a "railroad track" quilting on the bias tape.  I'm not in love with it, but it gives it a bit of "fun".

The yellow patchwork was meandering/stippling.  The outer yellow edge was a "f" swirl.  I will admit.  I learned something about my freemotion quilting.  I struggle much less going from left to right like I read and write.  And I need to make sure I try to do that as much as possible.  Especially on curves.

The backing is a fun gray swirl, that again, reminded me of smoke!

I did used the same bobbin thread color from the top, so it is fun to see the reverse image of the sign on the back.

And the binding.  I was excited to use this black and yellow fabric.  It was the fabric I used for Button's highchair cushion.  His highchair days came and went so fast that I couldn't enjoy it as long as I wanted!  So how perfect to use it on Pop's quilt!

The one thing I can't help but get tickled about?  This quilt is the direct antithesis of my mom's Garden Party Quilt.  I have a distinct feeling that his quilt will be relegated to the office they share...way up in the upstairs, far corner room in their house.  But I'm okay with that, because I know HE will know why I chose to make it for him!