Sunday, August 21, 2011

Bambi, the Unexpected Gift: a journal quilt

   Bambi was a very influential movie in my life and I wanted the children to view it. Many said it was too scary; but my grandchildren loved the movie and wanted to see it repeatedly. Every night we kept them during the move to another state, they shouted eagerly: "BAMBI, BAMBI, BAMBI," when I asked what bedtime movie they wanted to watch.
click to enlarge
      Although the children did not appear anxious over the recent move and on the drive to their new home started asking 15 minutes out of town how long it would take to get there, the icing on the packed snacks was that when Joe drove into the new driveway four hours later, David, 2, spotted the statue of a deer on the neighbor's lawn and hollered out, "BAMBI!"
      As as the day went on, Joe looked out the window to see an antlered deer in the woods across the street; and by the time he rounded up the children to view it, a doe appeared. The animals remained there until eventually a car drove by to spook them. What a gift for the children on the arrival in their new home, one that made the grandmother quite thrilled, necessitating a journal quilt for this special occasion of gratitude.
      I found a fabric that looked like the deer in the movie. I made the white ribbon by fusing Wonder Under to the back of white fabric. On the Wonder Under, I drew the bow and ribbons freehand, cut them out and ironed them, fusing to the deer fabric. I quilted by using a blanket stitch on my sewing machine around the ribbon and a free motion funny grass stitch between the deer. I cut the quilted block to an exact 12 x 12 inches but then imperfected it when adding the iron-on hem binding and zig sag stitch to secure.

6 comments:

  1. Memorable --- you won't forget this experience or this scene! ss

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  2. What a super way to celebrate such a special and perfect moment for the kids. How wonderful that Joe was there to see it happen and to know the connection for them all. Love the touch with the ribbon and bow.

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  3. I remember this anecdote about the deer and how perfectly that aided the children's adjustment to their new home. You could not have captured this moment any better than you did, locating this wonderful deer fabric and then fashioning this journal quilt as a wrapped present. This, truly, was a "gift" of an incident to ease this transition for your beloved grandchildren!

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  4. Great story about the deer. What fun for the kids to be that close to nature.ND

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  5. I don't have to tell you again, how much I loved the Bambi movie and how just the memory of it still effects me. It's amazing that the neighbor has a deer statue in their yard. That is very 1950's, isn't it? But delightful. Maybe it's an antique deer. Most of us have enough deer in our yards without adding statues.
    The 'Bambi' deer journal is lovely, and a lovely tribute to a priceless memmory. David is wonderful.
    NM

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