I'll definitely be hitting Sara up for some mitered corner lessons when she's in Ottawa, but all in all, I'm really happy with this lil' quilt. It's for the first baby of friends of mine, baby shower to be held in a few weeks. The inspiration for the colour palette was the fabric I used for the back, which is cut from a toddler duvet cover from Ikea that I thrifted at Value Village, new, for $2. It hadn't even been washed. The front is a mix of some of my favourite stashed pieces: some japanese cottons, a bit of vintage thrifted cottons, some 1930s repro, and some new cottons. I also framed up some of the animals cut from the duvet cover to tie in the front and the back.
I free motioned quilted it, and these photos were taken after the first wash. Should I wash it a few more times before giving it, do you think?
Sara helped me out with some really good advice for squaring the quilt off before attaching the binding. Long distance or not, she's really there for me. I made quite a few mistakes along the way, but a few of them actually ended up enhancing the final product, in my opinion. I mismeasured some of the pale blue for the front, and was short by a few inches, so I added another strip of patchwork, which I think worked out nicely. My original sketch had just four strips of patchwork strip at the bottom, but I ended up including 5 strips, three with animals, and two without. This happened because I got really tired the night I was framing up the animals, and with three completed, I laid out what I had on the floor, and they ended up all staggered which I thought looked cute. Before the yawns that were threatening to take over succeeded, I called it a night and the next night I added a fifth row of patches so that the bottom would look more balanced.
I can't wait to make the next quilt, which will be for my older daughter, who incidentally, has decided that the baby who will receive this quilt should be named 'TuesdayBread'. I've suggested this to the parents to be but I have a feeling that while they'll love the quilt they may find their own name for their baby.
- Donna
Ps - Do any of you get a little sad when a stash item (especially one this is either vintage or out of print) gets used up? I'm lamenting the almost goneness of this little gem that I found at a thrift store. I may hoard the remaining piece for awhile before I'm brave enough to use it all!
9 comments:
I have been waiting for this post all weekend -It's GORGEOUS!! Are you proud? I know I am! This time last year I don't think you'd ever touched a sewing machine...and now you're holding up an honest to goodness quilt - made by you!!!!
Everything about this quilt is so appealing to me. You always choose good colors and this time was no exception.
Lucky babe to be gifted with this beauty!
Heh. I had to wait until daylight to get a decent picture!
It's true - before last November I hadn't sewed since home ec in ninth grade (more years ago than I care to count). I can't believe I am making quilts! More and more and more are living and swimming around cozily in my head.
So what about the washing, Sara? I seem to remember you saying you had washed baby m's quilt a few times before you gifted it. .or did I make that up?
A few other questions I had - - when trimming the quilt to square it up, I had to rotary cut over some of the quilting, which severed the thread . . is the quilt going to come apart? Is there a way to fix this?
Severing stitches - I just assume that when we machine sew the binding on, we secure up those broken lines. At least I hope that's the case!
I had to wash baby M's quilt a couple of times because when I washed it the first time, there was something green in the washing machine (to this day I don't know what it was) that put a spot on the back of it! That's just the kind of luck I have. I'd just go with the one wash - it looks lovely as is.
Donna,
It looks lovely and I think that you need not wash it any more just wrap it and gift it. The blues and oranges are sweet with just the right crinkle. When you put the binding on, it should secure the stitch that you cut to square it. I also lament when I use up the last of a favorite material, but alas I keep finding more favorites....I cannot keep them all LOL I just try to think of the pleasure that the new person will have with the new quilt that it has become .
Mary
That backing fabric is fabulous!!! What a find! The quilt is amazing. I'd just stick with the one wash.
This is so cute! Good job it really looks great! And the recess below is one of my favorites..anything by american jane is my favorite. Along with anything else that might resemble fabric. :) -Allison
Thanks everyone!
Allison -I hear ya on that last line. And my groaning fabric shelves also hear you, and cry for mercy, just a little bit. At least I can now say I'm a quilter and it's ALMOST like having a reason for buying all this fabric!! :)
Nice find! I have the same toddler duvet my daughter used that I set aside for a future project. I didn't think to keep it a blanket and make it into a quilt.
I am in love with this quilt. It is amazing!
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