Trying agin to post pictures of my BIL quilt! Took several tries over several days, but I think I did it. This quilt is made with 40 years accumulated scraps and UFO blocks that were all the same size but not the same design. The quilting itself is terrible as I just can’t handle the mass of quilt that big with my sewing machine. Anyhow it should keep him warm at least!
Gail
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What a riot of joyful colours. Great Work! It is the perfect snuggle up quilt, Gail. I am sure it will be well used, for the love that went into the making of it, not the perfection of it. A beautiful, perfect quilt is never used as much IMHO. Nice job. Cathy
I just love it. Thanks for sharing. He will love it too!
Thanks ladies. The hardest part of giving it away is the memories in those bits and pieces. Like there are some scraps from a free Vogue wardrobe pattern I got and made back in the early 80's. Made out of cheap fabric, but they went together and fit like a dream. First time I ever sewed with a Vogue pattern. And then I see pieces of maternity clothes (my baby is 26), a dress I made for out unit Christmas party the first year I was a nurse, etc. there are also pieces leftover from the quilt I made his grandson too. He is a truck driver and last year it was so cold he had trouble keeping warm so I thought a warm quilt would come in handy especially since it isn't blue ribbon quality a little grease here and there should help it along. I tried to upload the label on the back but got tired of the time outs, but I embroidered a semi-truck the color of his truck with his name, etc. and then appliqued it to the back which is black and white gingham print.
That sounds so sweet. He's blessed to have you do this for him. Awesome.
Gail, I have just learned in the last few years about taking pictures of craft and sewing projects. I know you will be glad for the pictures of this quilt. I is a wonderful quilt that says, "use me" versus "admire me".
I need to make my son another quilt and have been dragging my feet because I can't handle the big projects on the machine any more. You have given me encouragement to have a go at it. His old quilt is baking with a few scraps of batting attached.
I love the combination of blocks and colors.
I'm working on teaching myself to quilt a part of the quilt at a time. In 'spare' minutes I'm working on a Project Linus quilt. It has 6 16" blocks. I'm quilting each block separately with the back attached and when I get done with the quilting I'm going to figure out how to put them together with I suppose a sashing strip to cover the joins. I don't want to give up on quilting as it is my favorite type of sewing, so I have to figure out a way to make quilts without having to send them out to the quilter. Although she has reasonable prices it is more than I can afford for as many quilts that I make and they never seem to be quilted like I would like. I especially don't want to have to pay to quilt a Project Linus quilt as they are all given away, but they are childrens quilts so smaller.
I definitely think quilts are to be used. I made one when hubby and I got married and his side from his beard is falling apart. I've repaired it once but now it is past that point so someday I will cut it apart and rebind the edges and will end up with a twin quilt and a lap quilt. We worked on it together so I don't want to toss it.
Hello Gail
Someone I knew used to break down very large quilts into a manageable size (she quilted in the car an hour each way to their work while her husband drove). If I remember correctly it she finished them as follows:
Join as many blocks as you can manage - in a square or rectangle i.e., 1 block or 4 or 9. or in rows - as you choose. Mark the sewing line onto the wrong side of the blocks. Sandwich section and quilt them to about a 1/2 or 1 inch off the sewing line, if by hand leave threads hanging. Fold batting and backing back out of the way of the sewing line on the blocks.
Now sew the two section of your blocks together on the previously marked sewing lines. Trim the batting to exactly the sewing line, trim the backing so that it is larger than the batting by your seam allowance. Butt the batting together and join with herringbone stitch - stitched fairly closely together through the thickness of the batting. Extend the seam allowance of the backing over the join of the batting. Turn the allowance of the 2nd section of back and hand sew down at the batting join.
Finish quilting the inch or so not done yet as you go. Do not quilt in the ditch. The lady who did this did a lot of cross hatching or other that crossed over the join.
Perhaps this might interest you. I am glad that you are feeling better.
Kind Regards - Marika
That sounds pretty much like what I'm planning. The herringbones stitch would work too and I hadn't thought of it. In the larger squares of the Project Linus block that I'm doing now, I machine embroidered a quilting motif and then along the seam lines I'm quilting with different open machine stitches like the herringbone one. I should be able to continue that when putting the blocks together.
I actually cut out a dress today and hope to do a little sewing on it and some house cleaning also so I am feeling soooo much better!!!!
Gail
Looking forward to seeing your Project Linus Quilt. I've had a Christmas quilt front ready for sandwiching for a few years now and have decided that this is THE YEAR I will get it hung. I had better hurry and finish this book.
Marika
Gailete,
It's magnificant. It's filled with love and your family's history and your sweat (I know you haven't been feeling well so it took extra effort to complete it). No other quilt would do, no matter how perfectly stitched. Your scrap memories have an important home warming your BIL. Much better than being scrunched away waiting for a project. Bravo!
And for the record: I think it's beautiful.
Thank you for your lovely comments. When I started feeling better after such a horrible October, I started working on finishing it and as I got closer and closer to the end I kept pushing myself till one night I wouldn't quit till I was done. Sewing and quilting is good therapy. Hubby is always happy to hear one of the machines running because he knows I'm feeling at least okay if I'm sewing.
Very impressive, Gail, for 40 yrs. worth of scraps. Beautifully colourful, too! He'll love it! What a nice sister-in-law you are!
Gloria
My BIL got in around 1 in the morning and my hubby went out and brought him in so we could give him the quilt (yes we are nightowls). He was very pleased to get it and knew his grandson would have fun finding the scrap pieces that were leftover from the quilt I had made him. It is such a pleasure to give a gift to someone who appreciates it! I had decided awhile back to make and give presents only to people that I thought would appreciate the work and the gift itself. The other folks can go fly a kite!
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