A Challah Cover in Chicagoland

I had the pleasure of going to Chicago for a couple of days earlier this week. We had a 2-day fall break, I have a lot of friends in Chicago, and some friends from out of town were there. It was a wonderful trip, filled with good times and catching up with friends as well as excellent, excellent vegetarian food. I highly recommend both the Chicago Diner (incredible veggie reuben) and the Blind Faith Cafe (stellar Mongolian stir-fry). I also got to give this challah cover to friends who recently moved to Evanston and bought their first home.

The challah cover combined a partial dresden plate with one of my new favorite fabrics: lightweight dark denim. I picked this denim up when I got the denim I used for Beth's bag. It's a touch darker and much less heavy -- somewhere between quilting cotton and home-dec weight cottons. It's really easy to sew with and looks great with so many quilting fabrics. In particular, Laura Gunn's Lantern Bloom really shines next to it, and I think a quilt may emerge. But I digress...

I had made the dresden plate a few weeks ago and struggled to find the right color to set it on. Denim answered that question, but I was still uncertain about what fabric to use for the center. I tested out quite a few options -- mostly reds, but a couple blues; some solids, some prints. Finally, I realized that this Amy Butler Lotus print (so versatile!) was ideal because it let me put the little flower center in the corner of the challah cover. It took a little fussing with circles to get it right (I still have to work on cutting and sewing circles), but I love the result.

Finally, I had to decide how to quilt it. I hemmed and hawed, debating free-motion quilting, echo quilting, grids, and more. In the end, a few simple lines that created just enough of a stripey look won out. I confess I started quilting thinking I might have to rip it all out. But I didn't.

Since the Lotus print worked so well at the center of the Dresden Plates, I opted to use it on the back. I chose the solid off-white binding because it brought the front together. While it doesn't make the back pop, I think it does its job. Overall, I'm really pleased with this challah cover; I had no idea what it would look like when I started it, and I love the final product.

It is, however, lacking a name. Any thoughts on a good name?

p.s. If you like Dresden Plates, check out Stephanie's. It's amazing, and how she has had the patience for a full quilt of them is beyond me.