Sunstreaks Quilt (Or the Time Vortex)

If someone were to ask me to describe my happy place I might say something like "with my boys...in good moods" and I would totally be telling the truth. But when I think of a place of peace and calm and happiness, I always remember an afternoon when I was a teenager when I was working as a lifeguard and  had the pool all to myself. I was doing laps and it was late afternoon. The pool was 50 metres and had west-facing windows all along one side. I was working on under-water laps (competitive synchronized swimmer) and could ALMOST make it 100 metres without a breath. I was feeling happy and fit and amazing. So I climbed out of the water, hopped up onto one of the diving blocks, tossed my goggles and swim cap and took a lap without all my gear. I remember opening my eyes under water and the streaks of sun shining through the water and the total silence made me so happy. It's always that moment I go back to when I want to cheer up or feel good. THAT is my happy place.

So when Patrick Lose released his Sunstreaks fabric through Robert Kaufman designs I knew I had to make something with it. I hoped to capture that happy moment in a quilt (sounded possible in my head...) So I ordered a Jelly Roll and eagerly waited for it to arrive.  I finished up the quilt top that night and then paused. It wasn't quite what I had been envisioning in my head (- should have just bought shades of blues and purples and whites perhaps) and while it was pretty, it wasn't perfect. So I hung it in my dining room for a month and anyone who came over was asked to pick a colour for the border. N wanted red, A wanted white, Mr. Ed thought I should do black. And then everyone thought it should be black. That didn't seem right either. So I put it away. Then a few months later I took it out again and decided I would stick with my water theme and go with the brightest blue. I ordered so many yards and agonized over the math and then when it arrived I couldn't bring myself to cut into it. So it went away again. This quilt was NOT my happy place!

Then in April I put on my big girl pants and made myself work on it. I got the border cut and sewn and the whole thing basted in an evening. Then I spent about a week quilting it. While I worked I watched Dr. Who on Netflix and totally lost track of time. Man I love that show!  I watched Seasons 3 and 4 and fell in love w David Tenant

And then (thank you Pinterest) on April 18 - David Tenant's BIRTHDAY! - I finished it.

It wasn't what I had originally hoped for, but it was done and I had fun working on it. 

THEN, my darling N got hold of it and asked "Mommy?! Did you make me a Dr. Who quilt?!"

Um.... wha??? What makes you think it's a Dr. Who Quilt? 

(other than the fact that you are my son and we are both geeks and both obessessed....)

"Well.. the colurs and the lightning look like the Time Vortex - you know when the Tardis flies through it at the beginning?"

Oh my love... of COURSE I made you a Dr. Who quilt! 

Back in my Happy Place :)

Finished April 18, 2014 (David Tenant's Birthday!!)
Finished size: