Nine years ago, Stepbro A got married. And when he married his wife, I gave them a quilt as a wedding gift.
The pattern is the supernova quilt, created by Lee of Freshly Pieced back in 2011. She did a quilt-along in early 2012 and I joined in (a bit belatedly) and although we were only making 9 or 12 blocks...I went overboard and did 16, because going overboard is something I frequently do when quilting.
Stepbro A and Step SIL A liked it. At least, I presume they did, since they took the quilt with them when they temporarily relocated to the Netherlands about five years ago. Apparently SB-A naps under it all the time. Exactly what a quilter likes to hear!
Then, six(ish) years ago I made Stepbro J a quilt. I wasn't sure about when he'd get married and it seemed fair to give him a quilt when I'd given his brother one. So I put together a penny patch in browns and reds and purples and creams and gave it to him just in time for his move to Singapore. I was really quite pleased with it - it seemed suitably subdued and masculine while still holding a dash of 'pop', suitable for an adult man in his late twenties.
Let's say that he was not as delighted to receive it as I was to gift it. I believe the phrase used was "its just squares".
You can imagine the look on my face right now. I'm sure we've all been there, with someone who was untactful about a quilt we made them. UGH.
Granted, this is what I have from my mother, he has never actually said it to my face, so I don't know. He also has a rather droll sense of humour and is not always on the ball.
That said, no quilter likes to discover that someone is less than delighted with the quilt that took time and energy and effort, and which is not appreciated. One would wonder why someone would do it again.
In 2014, a couple of quilters came up with the idea of a quilt-block swap - swapping supernova quilt blocks with another person with the same style. Basically for every block you made, you would make an identical block and post it to your friend along with lettes and snacks and whatever, hopefully becoming friends in the process.
I don't think my block swapper and I matched quite so well as was hoped by the organisers - I think we were a late match, actually - two people who applied late to participate and just got plunked down with each other. She was more traditional (handsewing only); I was more modern. She was conventional colours; I was pops of bright and contrasting. We sent letters but they felt stilted, not really connecting. And I haven't heard from her since that last quilt block. So...not so successful at friendship then.
It was supposed to be twelve blocks - 3x4 - and again I added blocks to make it 4x4. And then stuffed it into a drawer for 'someday'.
Then, earlier this year, SB-J got married. And I happened to have this supernova quilt top lying around, doing nothing much...
The supernova block itself is complicated and rather fiddly. Not something you should really give to someone who wasn't appreciative of the quilt you made them the first time around.
But it matches. It 'suitable' in the sense of it's equal with SB-A and SSIL-A, and it even 'looks complicated enough' that he might not complain about it.
But that's likely to be the last quilt he gets, and it's one more than anyone else except my mother who has received four, or possibly even five.[*] And yes, I'm going to hold that grudge until we're old and grey. Isn't that what siblings are for?
[*]I don't remember how many quilts mum has anymore; it's all a blur. But Mum is really proud of the quilts - one is on her bed - a 4x4 eight-pointed-star pattern in japanese fabrics, one is on the couch in the office - a postage stamp quilt, the Duct Tape Galaxy hangs behind her in the TV room (where it gets seen on her videoconferencing calls), and the 100 Days Of Tula Pink is hung in the entryway to their house, where it's seen by everyone walking in the door. And I think that there's one more that she has tucked away because they used to have two spare bedrooms and now they only have the study.
*sigh* I may be a sucker. But also, it fits that this one (which matches the one that I gifted his brother) should go to SB-J and SSIL-J. And in the end, he can be as ungrateful as he wants; I am giving this to them in a spirit of love and sisterly charity. Even if my teeth are slightly gritted and my muscles are tensed ready to snatch it back if they show any signs of not wantin... Okay, okay. I'll be gracious and beneficient.
At least on the surface!
Anyway, it's finally bound and done and will be out of my hands by January. I'll be travelling up to their part of NSW in the new year so I might try to drop in, catch up, and gift it to them. I might have to take a day or two of time off, though, and I already told work I'd wouldn't be taking time...
