cblong03 Dad's 80th Birthday Quilt - From the label: Dear Dad, When I told you I would make you a quilt for your 80th birthday, you requested the quilt be “exciting.” I hope this quilt pattern fits that description. The designer didn’t necessarily intend the pattern to be symbolic, but my version has love and meaning sewn into each stitch. The large star, with the colorful crown, is you, Dad, the king of our family. From that, there are 10 8-pointed stars that shine to mark the 80 years you’ve lit up the lives of your family and friends. Two are hidden, representing the little bits of each of us we keep to ourselves and hidden from others. The colorful spikes and flying geese represent all the different kinds of people you’ve touched throughout the years. This quilt, like life, contains many paths; some end abruptly; some never end; and some blend smoothly into others. The texture of the quilting characterizes the highs and lows experienced along the way. Finally, the many dots, both large and small, are like the blessings and bits of wisdom you’ve gifted to me, far too many to count. The Feinman-family ties are strong and precious threads no matter where we roam! Happy 80th birthday! Stitched with all my love, Beth Machine pieced and quilted by W. Beth Long, El Mirage, AZ With the exception of quilting with nylon thread on the top, the entire quilt is 100% cotton. Pattern: The Colourful Quilt, by Jacqueline de Jonge (with minor modifications by the maker) Started in a 2-day workshop with Jacqueline at Quilting in the Desert, Phoenix, AZ, in 01/2009 Completed 05/2009 (in time for Dad’s birthday on August 22nd) NOTES (not on label): One circle was hand-appliqued because I just couldn't get it to fit. Even tore the circle and star, on one attempt, and had to remake it. I modified the bottom right corner of the pattern by replacing the NY beauty arc with a wonky-flying-geese arc, which I designed, and adding that NY beauty arc to the star next to/above it. Update: My dad was able to enjoy this quilt for, just shy of, 2 years. He passed on April 8, 2011. I'll forever hold sweet memories of him receiving it. The pic is in my profile: http://www.thequiltshow.com/os/photo_edit.php/photos_id/5099.