The Traveling Quilt of Many Colors

In January of 2009 I found a quilt top in an antique store in Washington with my mom. This quilt top was from the 1920's. All the patches were sown together, but it was never completed and turned into a blanket. I purchased this amazing quilt top for $50. Kind of an unusual purchase, but I loved the bright yet antiqued colors, the vintage patterns and the "oldness" of it. Also, I felt like I could relate to this woman. I also had sewn patches of a quilt together (fall 2006) and have yet to complete the quilt by adding a back to it. So, I wanted to help this woman complete the beautiful project she started almost 90 years ago.
I brought it back to Philadelphia with me and decided to send it to my Auntie Kate who lives in Tennessee. I had ZERO idea how to go about completing this thing and I also had a wedding to plan, a full time job and grad school. So, I sent it to my aunt with 4 children between the ages of 10 and 2, you know, since she had so much free time (I'm super considerate). Auntie Kate really is a great quilter (she made Mike and I a beautiful quilt for our wedding)and awesome at all things domestic (crochet, cooking, motherhood, etc) she said she'd be happy to take care of finishing the quilt for me.
When she saw the quilt top, I think she realized how truly old and delicate this thing was and decided it should be taken to a professional. She took it to a few different places but she wasn't quite satisfied with their "work". She knew her mother-in-law, Gail took her quilt projects to a really great quilter up in Washington state. So, the quilt was sent back to Washington. By the time the quilt was completed and sent back to Kate, she and her family had moved to Kansas (good ol' military life!).
I received the quilt in the mail last week here in Danville, California and I was completely and utterly THRILLED at the results. After 2 years, 5 states and sevearl hands, my quilt is back and better than ever! I am sure the lovely woman who sewed the original patches together would be incredibly pleased. Thank you Kate and Gail and the lady who started this quilt. I will love and cherish it forever!!

If Mike and I are ever blessed with a sweet baby girl of our own, I think this quilt will serve the perfect inspiration for her first bedroom :)