A Winter's Work ~ Spring Finishes

Hello, friends---Welcome to June.

May has seen three big quilt finishes for me . I have to say I was super-proud yesterday when I sewed the final stitch in La Grande Sajou's binding!

This was a ''little'' quilt, Humble Quilt's Fall project, inspired by the Parisienne shop known as Sajou. I think we chose that first center block in early October.

I chose a rose from a red Provencal print--it was all I had that seemed to work. That choice set the stage for my entire "French inspired'' medallion* quilt.

 I say French though maybe  that is only in my imagination,lol.

Many of the gorgeous reds I hunted down online are from American Jane. Who knew they made provencal prints as well as cutesy Americana kids' prints.

The final border is a hand blocked French border strip, found on etsy. It was added after the quilt was quilted because as we well know raw quilted edges often need a lot of straightening and squaring.

The binding also AJ, had to be attached in stages, first just to the hand-blocked border which had waves and curves due to its handmade process. The corners were carefully matched and mitered. Then the binding was sewed again through the back and batting etc. This was all somewhat time consuming.

The backing is a beautiful small tablecloth, thin batiste, that my mother cherished and gave me. Despite its pastel effect its hand blocked design was inspirational in my color choices.

The edge is a pink and white sprig, with picotage , tiny dots.

My quilter did a wonderful job of centering the tablecloth and doing a subtle holly leaf quilting as I requested.

I had worried about all the reds fading/ running.

Here is the quilt in its Retayne bath, scary!

No red showed in the water, but these are the Color Catchers, just a faint pinkness from its final wash and fluff. What a relief.

That final stage ---the wash n fluff is nerve-racking, isn't it!

*What I admire most about Lori's projects: they make me think and grow as a quilter, they inspire me to try new things. On my own I would never make a medallion quilt, don't like them! And despite my mom's influence, her love of French fabrics, using them in a quilt is not something I'd have done without this project's challenge and inspiration.This is the hallmark of a great teacher, I believe. Thank you, Lori!

Begun October 2018-finished June 1 2019.

(I was so proud yesterday. I showed my son! I got the lip curl and eye roll: "It's really, um, red, mom." )

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Another just-finished quilt: TQC 1880 Sampler.

1 block [or more] per week from January 2018 to end of September 2018, about 36 blocks; I set it side then for a winter put-together. A FB groups friend helped me with the oddball setting. Yes it's triangles, not set in rectangles.

I love it!

I wish maybe I hadn't used up my chrome yellows for the back though. What a waste, what was I thinking. It looks good to me but the fabrics can't be replaced and are unusually bright yet authentic to the 1800s date. btw The yellow backings did run, both in the Retayne bath and in the wash/ Color Catchers. I find yellow to be very unstable, worse than red sometimes.

This quilt is square, the wind blew it crooked. Really.

 As I searched for the right mottled black setting fabric, despite having ordered the one TQC suggested, more of  tan, I was surprised to find these similar vermicelli or seaweed choices in my antique fabric collection. The look must have been popular! Bet it hid a lot of dirt.

Pink borders and self-bindings, a hallmark of TQC style.

 

Begun January 2018, completed May 2019.
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And since I had leftover blocks, I made this little doll quilt.

Red lucky horseshoes and green apron backing.

Too cute, my new fave.

Begun April 2019, completed May 2019.

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> I want to mention that NONE of these quilts is a ''SCRAP" quilt. I chose each and every fabric from my stash or ordered them especially.

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Happy days for me, I feel like my winter was a success even though the two big projects I had planned [Silent Night and the two Antebellum Schoolgirl projects, Hideous and Best Friends in Blue] were entirely neglected. If we get some rainy days I will piece the final 11 stars for Silent Night, so I can applique the tiny village one the bottom border this summer. And OMG, I have to make t-shirt quilt.

I'm hoping for a busy and fun summer, aren't you? As always, my Mo supervises intently.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.....


Not meaning to be insensitive to others' weather related woes, but I do love a good storm. We had some big thunder and wind last night, not so much rain. Mo is like, Yawn, but the whole house shook. Hard.