"Family Forever"

In 2012 I met up with a group of friends for some shopping at Hancock's of Paducah.  My friend Rose Mary and I thought it would be fun to work on projects together at our upcoming retreat that summer, so we each bought a "Tropical Breeze" pattern by Fat Quarters Anonymous.  We were both drawn to the same fabric line so we bought everything we needed and started on our quilts that summer five years ago.  This is all I got done --

I set it aside for a long time.  (Hmmm, I seem to do that a lot, don't I?)  Finally, last year I decided it had been a UFO long enough and I needed to finish it.  I wasn't really loving the fabrics I had planned to use for it.  It really needed some more color.  (I do that a lot, too!)  Color definitely helped.

I wanted to use some of the fabrics I had originally bought for the borders, especially since I had so much of it.

The first one looked pretty good ....

..... the second one, not so much.

That was okay, though, because I have quite a selection of batiks  Surely, I had something that would work.  Hmmmm......

With help from Hubby I auditioned border fabrics until I finally found one that would work.  At first, I wasn't sure the binding fabric, which I matched to the backing, would work either.  

Once it was finished I decided it was perfect, and I love it!

I mailed it last week to my former sister-in-law who I still consider to be family, and I always will.  That's why I named this quilt "Family Forever."  We share many precious memories.  I hope they come to mind whenever she snuggles up in her quilt.

I'm linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  Can I get a Whoop Whoop?