Bookshelf Quilt

For a very special friend's (who happens to be a librarian) special birthday.

I saw a couple of those on the net and really liked the idea. The quilt turned out 165 x 195cm (65 x 78 inches)

I used a lot of scraps in the quilt, in fact, the only fabric I bought specifically for the quilt was the brown for the shelves and the backing (which is a flanell duvet cover)

I also incorporated this orphan block which was left over from some paper piecing experiment I made.

 My friend loves cats, so, naturally, I had to include one as well. Her cats are black and white, though, but this wouldn't have worked with the background, so this brown tabby it became. She didn't mind the color at all.

The print on the vase is some of my rare Japanese fabric from my last trip there many, many years ago. The flowers are from an ongoing EPP project.

Here on the back the quilting is more visible. I first went around all books using my walking foot. Then I free motioned the black background with more or less straight lines. Finally, I fmq'ed the shelves with some wood grain.

I had lots of fun making that quilt, the quilting came our great, and my friends loves it (which is the most important part.