Love Affair with Quilts

This is the quilt that started it all. Created by my mother's grandmother with the help of my granddad when he was young. My mom slept with this on her bed growing up. When I first saw this I knew I had to have one of these, had to learn how to make one! I used to lie on it and look at all the different prints of the fabric to pick out my favorites. As the youngest child, and especially with older brothers - you learn not to expect first pick or leftovers of anything super yummy (which quilts are to me). So I figured probably the only way I would ever own a quilt was to make one myself! That and my mom's coaching is what started my interest in sewing.

 

 

I love it. I love how all the fabrics though so different harmonize together because of the white backgrounds and relatively similar size prints, and the solid purple and white used with them. And the beautiful hand quilting pattern that echoes the design in places and gets more elaborate in others, and is added to by the hand of age to make it only more beautiful.

I don't know if I will ever have the patience to quilt this well, but I wish! It has totally influenced me. I'm always drawn to vintage reproduction fabrics that bring this quilt to my mind. The fabric looks like it could have been saved from cloth feedsacks from the early 1900's. And I love hand quilting - especially if it has curves. The hand quilting around the edge of this quilt looks like hills or glowing suns. It just makes me think of lovely cheerful things, which funnily enough is typical of a lot of things produced in the depression era. And yes, funnily is a word!

 

This is just a little manifestation of the old-fashioned girl in me. I think it's funny that people only expect grandma's to be able to - or to like to quilt. Quilts are so cool because they are artistic and useful, something with a history attached - to be treasured and passed down. Admired for their unique beauty, but not from afar - and not just to be admired! Great to cuddle up with and meant to keep you warm. My mom had this out for my niece Evie to sleep under just the other night, so I had to snap some photos and couldn't help but share! Doesn't it rock!?

Making New Friends

Who knew you could make new friends when you're shut up in a room avoiding everybody...? Well I did. Meet my new friends Owl and Turtle.

  

These are my presents to myself - made with a Simplicity pattern out of leftover fabric I had from quilt projects. They were both so cute I just couldn't decide between them - so I made two. I was in desperate need of a new pincushion. The old one I was using was ugly and disfunctional, totally top heavy and constantly tipping over - a pincushion in a cheap mini basket with part of a bunny's dress hot glued to the side where I cut off the bunny years ago - blah. So I am very happy to have these new pals holding my pins for me.

If there is one good thing about having to be away from my family for a week it was having time to plug away at my backlog of sewing projects. I also made a new ironing board cover and a Christmas stocking for Lily since of course I didn't get around to that last year. I decided to get a different fabric for part of it so I'll wait to post a picture when it's finished.  

I am most excited to announce that I finally finished Lily's quilt!!! I had the top done and ready to quilt before the little lady was born with the mistaken idea that I would have plenty of time to finish it up during her endless baby naps. Wrong! - my baby hardly took naps in the day, and if she did - they were not long and I was either tackling laundry or napping myself. Makes me super grateful for the one 2 hour nap she now takes regularly each day. 

Anyway, now she will be getting her quilt for Christmas. I have been on the verge of finishing this for ages, but other projects with deadlines kept cropping up, like a special family tree birthday quilt for my mom, and Halloween costumes of course - not to mention life! I just needed some focus time - so I took my opportunity!

Here it is - the pattern is snails trail. I love the name, and it just seemed like such a fun swirly kooky pattern perfect for a baby. If I had my way I would have used reproduction baby prints from the depression era, but they are hard to find and expensive, and I wanted all the colors to harmonize. I love quilts and have always looked forward to making them for my own children. So excited to be done with this one!

(The purple in the background is a different quilt it's just sitting on.)