Modern Family Tree: An Echo Bella Quilt Top

As some of you already know, I was working furiously on a very secret project in the beginning of March.  In fact, if you follow me on Instagram then you may have seen this in the works.  

I was doing so much sewing and I couldn't share it!  It was killing me...

I can finally reveal this very special quilt top.  Believe it or not, it is a Modern Family Tree!

For years I have wanted to make my mother-in-law a special quilt.  She is always making quilts for other people and mentioned to me years ago that no one makes quilts for her.  That was when I decided that we just had to make something special for her and I wanted it to relate to our family.  This was in 2008 when I was pregnant with Miss E.  The Mr. and I brainstormed for awhile...a block for each family member, a family tree, a combo, how do we do that, do we pick a fabric for each person, do we pick a style for each person...when finally the Mr. came up with a brilliant idea.  Creating a *key* where each piece of fabric represents a number, then creating a block with each person's birthday worked out in fabric.

Well, the idea was great and I got to work immediately using some really stunning reproduction Civil War prints.  But, I got pregnant again and we had to wait until we found out Miss V's birthday.  Then I worked on it a little more until bam, I was pregnant again!  And same problem...I had to wait to learn Miss O's birthday.

This year when my mother-in-law's milestone birthday was coming up I realized I had to abandon the first quilt top (maybe I'll finish it someday) and begin with new fabrics.  I chose Lotta Jansdotter's Echo and Bella lines because I know my mother-in-law loves them!

Here is the breakdown...

The Mr., shown here in the 2nd row at the end with a blue squidgy star, is the youngest of three.  I am the pink squidgy star...to be cute I decided to make my brother-in-law and I, the "out-laws" if you will, a little off center and in our own row to signify our being married into the family.  And the last row are the five grandchildren in chronological order with the three little Misses at the end shown here with their purple squidgy stars!  If you look closely you will see that Miss O (last block in 4th row) and her Aunt (left furthest block in 2nd row) share the same birthday...different years.  Pretty cool right?

I am so proud of this top because it is really personal without being in your face about its meaning.  Not only that, and clearly I am biased, but I also think it is a pretty gorgeous quilt top.  I can't help but see a little bit of each family member's personality in their individual block.  It was so awesome to collaborate with the Mr. on something so special.  I hope it will give my mother-in-law a great story to tell to people who ask about it.  

I will be using the Ikea Britten Nummer for backing.  

(I love how the written out numbers in the backing fabric will secretly play on the design idea from the top where each fabric symbolizes a number!)  

But, what shall I do for quilting.  Any suggestions?

- rebecca lynne