laalaaquilter

Great story and beautiful quilt!!

I grew up with quilts around me although I never saw the work done. All the quilts had been made by Grandma and her sisters and SIL long before I was born. In my teens my sister repaired one of the old quilts so I got to see her do the hand work of replacing worn pieces into the remainder of the quilt. Sister taught me to sew clothes when I was fourteen or fifteen and somehow in that process I ended up with a number of pieces of fabric that were just sitting around. I moved those yards around for years until I quit smoking in 1987(my mid twenties). When I quit smoking I had to do something with my hands so I got back to cross-stitch and needlepoint. And saw the fabric sitting there. So I started cutting into squares. Laid the squares out on the dining room floor in the apartment and moved them around till it suited me and then started sewing them together. I knew nothing about how they were supposed to go together..that there were rules of thumb for this or color choices that should be made...I just used what I had...which were three solids and two prints. Solid purple, orange, and apple green, flannel red calico print, and a chambray looking fabric with flocked apple cores on it. Then I went looking for a backing. Ended up with a floral sheet that had almost all the colors in it on white back ground. That top and backing have sat, folded up on a shelf or in a drawer through more moves. I have had a friend for a number of years who is an avid quilter and I told her about my UFO. She set to trying to get me to quilt it and since I lost my job in 2008 she's been encouraging me more and more...to the point of sponsoring me in a longarm tutorial last year. Over the twenty or so years that have passed I have collected buttons and sequined appliques and rick-rack to embellish the top (it is already so ugly, how can it hurt? also I have no intention of ever putting this thing on a bed...it will be hung on a wall) and have recently begun collecting fabric for a binding. I've always thought a dark gray almost black would be best. I have two fabrics (a yard each) so far and hope for at least one more so I can scrap a binding together. I know I still need batting and have no clue what to use...especially as this quilt will never see a bed or a washing machine. Avid quilter friend (and now teacher) is in the market for a long arm for her home and has offered me free use. And I know I can rent time on the machines at LQS where I took the tutorial (and quilted a charity quilt for teacher afterward). Early this year teacher prevailed upon me to join BOM that was starting in February so I shelled out my $6 and am off and running. Teacher and I don't agree on stuff alot but I definitely learn from her experience (she's been quilting more than 20 years). I've been talking about this board so much she asked me this evening to forward the link to her so she can check it out ;-)

Attached are pictures of the top, backing sheet, and embellishment collection. Yes that white stitching is where I sewed the seam allowance down so it would be easier to sew the rows together ;-) The variation in color you see is because I didn't pay any attention on the solids as to what was right vs wrong side and didn't pay any attention to nap. Some of the embellishments are vintage from my mother's clothes from the 60's and some from Grandma's treadle cabinet drawers from 30's & 40's. Others are from various visits to Joann's and Hancocks over the years for clothing repair supplies.

I plan to quilt it using lines from the backing sheet...maybe leaves and flowers? I'm collecting orange thread for the bobbin (the only color NOT on the backing sheet) and yellow for the top thread (the only color NOT on the top).

If I get more accounting clients maybe I'll be able to set aside money to rent time on LQS longarm rather than wait for teacher to buy hers. ;-)

I've had so much fun collecting for and dreaming about this particular quilt I'm almost reluctant to quilt it ;-)