A customer sent me a box full of fine cotton shirts custom made for her father in Hong Kong. Most were striped shirts in various muted colors, with white collars, but a large amount were plain white. These shirts were made of exceptionally fine cotton and felt almost silky to the touch. I used some of the shirts in the little baby quilt featured in yesterday’s blog, but the bulk of the shirts were destined to be used in the quilt above (a Christmas gift for her brother) and a future quilt for herself.

She wanted something simple but elegant that would be used rather than hung on a wall, so I chose the basic rail fence design and quilted it using a clam shell pattern that left it pliable and inviting. This quilt begged to be snuggled against, from its satiny feel to its comfortable softness. But what made it special was the binding, which the client herself suggested – a binding made from her dad’s ties.

The ties added a needed sparkle to this otherwise calm and quiet quilt.

My customer said that her brother and his wife both loved receiving this quilt.