Update: There are two now listed for sale on our Etsy page. Click here for link.
This quilt is particularly personal for me. I’ve loved the movie The Last Unicorn since I was a child. And when I was expecting my daughter, I got the chance to have a chat with the author of the original novel, Peter S. Beagle, at a convention. (We spoke about censorship and The Canterbury Tales, if you must know.) To say this story impacted my love of fantasy is putting it lightly. I owe so much to this film and to Mr. Beagle.
I made this wall quilt as a testament to my own childhood and all those who felt likewise. I used satin on the figures to ensure they stood out from the cotton fabric in the background. The unicorn was tough to cut out and harder to applique down because she had so many small, wavy details that are typical of the Rankin/Bass drawing style. The red bull looked fine, but when quilting I added red thread flames all over him and then went back and added a small layer of yellow thread flames along his back to be similar to the animated version. Overall, I was so happy with how it looked that I made a second one to possibly keep.
The film is much beloved in my house to this day as well. As an adult, I’ve shifted from thinking I’d be the magical Lady Amalthea in the story to identifying more with Molly Gru. In fact, when I heard Molly’s rant about the unicorn appearing to her when she was older and no longer innocent as an adult, I cried. So this story really does keep on giving.
Thank you, Peter S. Beagle, for everything.
Love, Kira.
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Quest Quilts 
Absolutely lovely post; thank you for sharing your newest treasure. I’m not familiar with The Last Unicorn, but I, too, have felt the urge to recreate a bit of my childhood in fabric. It’s one of the perks of quilting!
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And what would you recreate? I have so many homages I’d like to pay.
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I’m in the middle of a “Monster at the End of this Quilt” – my second Sesame Street quilt – and someday I’d like to do Schoolhouse Rock. I’ve got a few others on the (ever-growing) to-do list. It nice to feel like you never have to grow up!
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Those sound like so much fun! And yes, I like how “growing up” doesn’t mean rejecting childhood stuff anymore. One of my fav things to do with my kids is share cool stuff from when I was young.
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