I started a project for my MIL a year ago in September, 2012. I had ridiculous high expectations that I would have it finished in no time. I was going to make personalized embroidered placemats for each person in the family, to be used for Thanksgiving. (she loves placemats and cloth napkins). But before I was done with the first one, I thought to myself, “This is dumb. I’m putting all this time into something, that obviously won’t be done for Thanksgiving, but also could be ruined with cranberry sauce or gravy.”
So the placemat idea went out the window.
I decided to turn these embroidered pieces into a quilt. This quilt was going to be given for Christmas.
Then it was going to be given for Mother’s Day.
Then her birthday.
I’m thinking about this time that it’s a good thing she doesn’t know this is coming, ‘cause it may never happen! But I hunker down and told myself that IT WILL happen for Christmas this year! So it traveled with us all over in the car, which is where I did most of the stitching. To PA, to VA, all over WI… many, many miles in the car. With 3 days to spare, I finished the quilt.
Below are the pictures of the individual squares. Keep in mind that the images are certainly not all the each person is about, for there is no way I could put a million things into a 10” square! I picked an item or a few ideas that was an interest or like of each person. Some were easier than others and some are more detailed than others. They are presented in order of the family. (my apologies as some of them are blurry)
I had some fits with the quilting, which resulted in me ripping out what I had done (which was when I was about 60% done) and doing it over. The back is still not quite to my liking, but it looks much better. I was concerned of my FMQ foot catching on the embroidered stitches, so I did not quilt over the motifs, only around them.
I’m pleased with how it turned out and I, for one, am glad they didn’t make it into placemats. 
I’m also glad I didn’t get it done at any of the other times I had planned to. Why? you ask. Well, then one square would have been left out, and that wouldn’t have been fair.
Updated:
She loved the quilt!! There were happy tears when she saw it. She “ooed” and “ahhed” over each square. She kept saying things like, “that is them!” and “that’s perfect!”. I don’t remember the measurements of the finished quilt, but I do remember that it was a little smaller then I was meaning it to be. But it actually turned out fine, for she’s on the shorter side and it fits her nicely! The quilt lived on the back of her loveseat and she says she refolds it often, so she can see and enjoy different squares. She’s so funny!
And then I turned it around. I had to get the Kleenex then!!
She has 3 boys. One boy has 2 children. Another boy has 3 children. Then there’s my husband: he has (soon) 8! This baby is grandchild #13. She came from a family of 2 children: her and her older brother. She says that she has always wanted a large family, So it’s a good thing that she likes grandbabies, ‘cause I keep giving them to her!
I love her very much. We have a wonderful relationship, as do my other 2 SIL’s. She a beautiful Godly woman and I’m honored to be part of her family.