125. Amanda's 36-Patch

 I met Amanda Jean Nyberg (crazymomquilts) in person in 2011 when she invited me to my first quilting retreat in Minnesota. Before that, we had gotten to "know" each other through our blogs. Hers was wildly popular and I was a bit star struck. Amanda and Terri Wilhelm picked me up at the airport, and prior to that I only knew what they looked like from the photos on their blogs.

Terri and I spent the night at Amanda's house (she was living in Wisconsin at that time) before driving to St. Cloud, MN, for the retreat. 

And every year since that time (except for this year, 2022, due to extenuating circumstances, aka COVID), I have spent at least one night at Amanda's prior to going to the retreat. 

So anyway, in 2011, Amanda Jean turned 36. To commemorate, she made a 36-patch quilt, where each block had 36 squares in it. I had some fabric that I knew would be perfect, so I also decided to make a 36-patch quilt.

Back in the days when I began making my blocks, Mark and I were part of an owner group that had 12 rental cabins at Huntington Lake, CA, and each of the owners would take turns being on-site managers for a week at a time. I remember sewing many of these blocks on my precious green Featherweight at the kitchen table of the manager's cabin, and then photographing some of them with a view of the lake in the background.

This is one of my favorite quilts, not only because I had so much fun making fabric combinations, but because it reminds me of my dear friend. It is the quilt I reach for when I'm not feeling well because it is so comforting. 

Title: Amanda's 36-Patch

Pattern by: Amanda Jean Nyberg

Date Completed: 2015

Size: 72" x 72"

Quilted by: Darby Myers