So, I know this isn’t technically knitting, but it is crafty so I think it belongs on my blog. Plus, I worked on this for three days nonstop, so I figure I should show it off.

Here’s what I’m talking about:

I made a photo quilt for my mom’s 60th birthday. I decided it would have 60 photos (for obvious reasons), but in the end I had to make 62 blocks. Technically there are only 60 photos, ’cause one block says “Happy Birthday, Mom!” and one block is a drawing of DNA. (My mom’s a geneticist.)

I didn’t have time to order the fabric sheets you can print directly on to, so I had to use the iron-on transfer paper. It left the quilt with a kind of plastic-y feel, but it was all I could use at the time.

So I printed out 60-some pictures (extra for the ones that got messed up) on an ink-jet printer and ironed them all on to off-white 100% cotton fabric. Then I joined them all together using the 4-thread safety stitch on my Elna serger. I could have done it on my sewing machine, no problem, but I the serger made the wrong side really clean.

Then I serged the borders on, sewed the batting to the fleece backing, and then sewed it all together. It literally took three days of nonstop work. I was tired. But it was worth it—my mom really loves it. Here are a few detail shots:

And here’s mom checking it out:

(Her hat is a birthday cake that says “Over the Hill.” She doesn’t normally dress like that.)