Time is of the essence

Never before have I felt the intense need to start and finish a project in record time. But that's the case right now.  My dad is losing his eyesight to age-related macular degeneration. Which is really the pits. He's 81, which right now doesn't seem all that old to me (my idea of age has changed drastically the older I become!)  I have a difficult time imagining what it would be like to spend your last years of life being unable to see the people and surroundings you've taken for granted.

I hatched the idea about a week before Christmas that I should make him a lap quilt. Of course it would be useful, but more importantly, I wanted him to be able to see my handiwork in piecing and quilting the lap quilt. Kinda selfish, but that's my motivation.  I think daughter's always want their fathers to be proud of them.

Starting and completing this quilt the week before Christmas was totally insane, so I just spent a lot of time trying to decide on the perfect quilt for him because I feel like I've got just one shot at it.  His favorite color is blue.  Finally, I decided to make a super easy quilt, focus on the colors and textures, and add the quilting to give that sensory perception that he may be able to put to use when his vision is completely gone.

After spending about an hour and a half at our LQS, I selected 20 different batiks. They'll be in a stacked block kinda format in 10-inch squares.  Here's what I've chosen:

I've rearranged the colors from what is pictured and I think it will come out well. I've decided to use the seeded maroon/blueish/brownish fabric for the inner sashing and the dark blue for the outer border. I've ordered a different batik for the backing and am waiting for it to arrive.

My plan is to get this pieced, quilted and bound by our next guild meeting Jan. 10. If I have a deadline, I can do it! Afterall, I want to get this to him while he can still see it. So time is of the essence on this one.

I'm linking up with A Lovely Year of Finishes. I think this is an excellent idea to keep me focused and directed in getting all my UFO's done!



Happy New Year!
Barb