Nic's Big Surprise

Last year, my brother, Nic, got me this oil painting for my 30th birthday.

So it seemed only fitting that I get him something really cool for his 30th birthday. But what? He doesn't want stuff... He loves movies... I could make him a quilt...

A MOVIE QUILT! THAT'S IT!!

So, here it is.

When my best friend, Erin, came out to visit for Easter, we went to a really cool quilt and knit store. I saw this awesome Wizard of Oz fabric and thought, "I should make something for Nic with that". Thinking more about it later, I remembered seeing an old character photo of Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West.

I based the concept of the quilt off the photo. I traced it onto graph paper and then drew in the rest of the scene as I remember the Wicked Witch's Castle looking in the movie. John then took the sketch to work, enlarged it, and printed it on their poster printer. With the help of my friend, Lois, I cut out all the different pieces and hand-sewed them onto the black background, a technique called appliqué. (That took about 2 months.) Then I backed, bound, and quilted it on my really cool sewing machine.

Apparently Ichabod approves; but he is always trying to lay on my quilts.

Nic says he loves it and that it was totally unexpected. I hope he enjoys it. We'll have to wait for a photo of him with it to see what he really thinks...

Happy 30th Birthday to my big little brother!