A Rompin' Stompin' Cowboy Quilt

Our son, Will, loved cowboys as a child. One time he spotted these vintage-style cowboy prints at a quilt shop and begged me to make him something. He was due for his own "big boy" quilt, so naturally I agreed. Aren't they charming?

I started pulling fabrics from my stash. Blacks, browns, reds, checks, stripes, and paisleys. Yee haw, this was going to be fun! 

Of course, I could have chosen a simple four patch and been done with it but I wanted something unique. It took months later, I came across Cowboy Boots.  Well "Yippee ki oh ki-ay!"

I love how the boot blocks highlight the prints. Additional elements like striped sashing and fussy-cut cornerstones add even more interest.

The "barbed wire" border was actually an afterthought, made to use up precious scraps.

Vacationing "Out West" a year later, I found this Native American style blanket print (Alexander Henry). It made a perfect backing!

More time passed at the machine quilters. 

In fact, from start to finish, it took three years to complete the quilt. Guess what our son said when I finally presented it to him. “Mom, I don’t really like cowboys anymore!” 

 

"Too bad, buckaroo. You're sleeping with it till you go to college!"