Mini Baltimore

I finished a mini Baltimore album quilt for my Mom.  By way of a bit of background; since we moved away from Colorado I don't get to see my Mom very often.  When I last saw her I was working on the blocks for my queen-sized Baltimore Album Quilt and she couldn't seem to take her eyes off them.  She really made me feel good with all of her kind words about them.  Well they're now made into a quilt and I'll get to take the quilt back to show her when we go later this month.  When I found out she has been diagnosed with cancer, I decided I wanted to make her a comfort quilt and take that with me too.  After pondering what I would make, I decided on this mini Baltimore album quilt.  I call it Heart of Gold Baltimore Album.  It's just 22" x 26" and is made of hand-dyed fabric and marbled fabric.  I used wool batting and really like how the wool makes it look.  I think she'll be pleased to have a Baltimore of her very own to look at and I hope it will make her smile.

I know myself well enough to know that after spending the countless hours it would take to make a Baltimore album quilt I just might have a tough time parting with it - kind of like letting one of my babies go.  Especially after all the time it takes "birthing" a Baltimore.  I thought that it couldn't take much more time to make two of each block as I went along, right?  So I started by making a second block of the few I had already made and then made two of each from then on.  I only wanted one quilt with the hearts of gold in honor of my Mom though, so I put Fleur de Lis in the borders of this second one.  I also put an eagle block in the one I'll keep because it makes me think of my grandson who is currently serving in the army.  I quilted each of them somewhat differently.  My Mom's has more feathers and the border quilting is different also.  Here's the one I'll keep.