Oh for an INCH and a half on this evolving quilt
 

Mom is 89 and to keep her mind busy we do a variety of activities. Last week we put together a quilt top. The center pieces were wonky shaped pieces cut from a too small piece of ready made quilt fabric. We put pieces on each side of the little blocks. Then I cut the blocks to a uniform wonky block size. It looked really blah put next to each other so we added some snow balls in 2 corners of each quilt block. Now the backing piece I have is an inch and a half too narrow. It has been suggested that we put some strips on each side and use them to wrap around and bind the quilt. I think I have barely enough fabric to make boarders like that. But how do we do the corners if the back is narrower than the front? The next question. I would like to free motion some hearts on there. Has anybody seen a simple way to do a few joined together hearts?
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You could cut 3/4" off each side. Since the blocks are wonky anyway, it probably won't be noticeable. Or cut your backing in half and sew a 1-3/4" strip to both sides, which will give you an added 1-1/2". Then do your binding with a different fabric.

I have cut my backing and added the necessary amount in a contrasting fabric, and then used that strip for my label. Turned out really cute.

I like the way you think.

If I may suggest, make it an off side ribbon because sometimes it's harder to center it when quilting. This way you don't have that problem to worry about

I like your quilt. As for quilting hearts, you can meander and periodically throw in a heart ( or any other shape) and then meander some more. Or you could do strips of hearts joined together with a vertical line. If you offset them, sort of nestle the hearts in row 2 between the ones in row one but moved over it would make a cute texture for your quilt.

And if you need to do the hearts on a domestic sewing machine - you can trace hearts onto tissue paper, pin to your quilt top and stitch through the paper to follow the pattern, tear away when done.

Love the idea of making a quilt with your mum a treasured moment. Use another fabric to make a strip to go off centre at 3" to give a little extra to continue the wonky idea.

Now that would be how I wrap a gift anyway. Maybe it needs a bow appliqued on that wonky ribbon with a tag that says it is made by Great Grandma and Grandma for Lovie.

I think I may need a bit of practice before I quilt the hearts. I should practice on several machines to decide which one will do the job the best. Of course Mom will help with controlling the fabric. I doubt if she will do any free motion and I would be afraid for her to do it. She doesn't remember to keep her hands out of the way and she forgets which way the hand wheel turns. When she did the blocks I had to clean out a lot of thread nests in the bobbin area. She would stop and say I think the machine is too old for this. Then I would remind her that the machine I've been working on in the kitchen is 5 years older than she is... Her eyes get so bright when we do this project together and that is good for the dementia. Mom has 12 great grand kids. I wonder how many quilts we will get made. All of them are going to have to be simple quilts made of fabric on hand for sure. Mom has always just tied her quilts so quilting this one will be a new thing for Mom. When I was a kid all we had was two pieces of fabric with thick wool batting tied together with wool yarn and called them quilts or comfortors. This quilt is a new project for Mom. She has upholstered a couch and mended a camper top with that Featherweight. That sewing machine has seen much better days. But this is her first quilt.

May I suggest you google "photos of quilt backings". You will see many people take random pieces of fabric and piece the back. They turn out really cute.

I would continue to use whatever fabric you originally chose for the binding, adding scraps if it's not long enough.

Good luck with your quilt. It looks really great so far.

I like to piece my backs to make them more interesting and use up my stash. Cut your backing all the way across somewhere off center and insert a different color. It works best to do things off center on the back so that when you make your quilt sandwich thing don't have to be perfectly aligned. Beautiful quilt.

Cute quilt. Make a strip of the print or the pink or even a row of blocks the goes with the front and add it to the center of your backing fabric. I do not like wrapped around binding. It doesn't wear as well as added double binding.

No hints on your quilting "problem" but just want to thank you for your attention to your mom. Dealing with the elderly and their diminishing abilities can be challenging. You are making good memories for yourself as well as helping her in many ways with these projects. Please make a project for yourself with her. It will be a treasure to you in days to come. Bless you for your time and patience.

How wonderful that you are willing to help your mom make her first quilt!!!! She won't remember doing it, probably, but the family will remember.Bless you!

I love your quilt, the memories you are creating and the fact that you are using what you have on hand. I second all the ideas for making the back look like a gift... very fun idea. For quilting, I would probably do random loop-di-loops with hearts thrown in. They are quite easy once you get the rhythm. Start doodling and see how it goes. Do some loops, then start at the bottom of the heart, curve around to the inner point and back around to meet the bottom point. I find it's easier to get a symmetrical heart this way. You may want to practice on a scrap sandwich, but remember that every quilt is a snapshot of what you can do at this point. Don't waste precious time waiting for perfection. Make those quilts happen!

I agree. You will be blest.

when i fold my backing to the front for binding i double fold it just like i do when using sew-in binding.

Jenny Doan's Flutterbuy quilt looks similar to this with the small snoballs. Happy for you getting to spend time with your mother working on this together.

Illinois took the words out of my mouth................I, too, have a mom with dementia and relish every day I have her on this earth. Somedays are better than others, but I always try to make her laugh. Memories are fleeting for her but the memories I have WITH her are priceless. Bless you.

I'd like to suggest that you take a photo of your Mom while she is stitching. Include that on the quilt label for whoever is the lucky recipient of her work. That would up the "priceless-ness", in my estimation!

I think I am going to let Mom read all the suggestions then let her decide how to do the back. Since she struggles so much to sew, she can at least decide things. She did completely piece about 1/4th of the blocks before she gave up and would only iron. (then I have to worry about her getting burned) She has forgotten how to not make thread nests under the FW. I remind her to turn the hand wheel toward her, leave the take up lever up when she starts and stops, leave thread tails in the needle and bobbin behind the foot and she forgets or gets in a hurry - she taught Home Ec.... sad.... I'm thinking she may do ok on an 'easier to clean out a thread jam machine' but we will see how that goes. With a kid next week there will be improvement with dementia next week there will not be improvement. There may be a window of time when she can do things for a while. I just have to find the windows. Some times I just have to do things and let her 'help' by finding things she CAN do that day.

Thanks everybody for all the kind words. Funny thing about Jenny's flutterby quilt was I saw that video right after we did the aqua corners. Something was lacking so we did the pink corners. Some times I set mom up with some of Jenny's videos while I clean up the kitchen. She loves to watch.

May I simply add my "echo" to the comment from "Illinois". Many of us have "been there" and it's a real challenge to keep a positive outlook. Yes, you WILL treasure this project. God Bless!

Miriam;

In June, I finished up a quilt for my mom. Quilted hearts & leaves on a vine in the big border. I did it all freehand except one heart that didn't look right with all the other freehand hearts. Used my Singer 15. For me, I found if I started out going to the left side that was simplest for me. Don't ask why as it made no sense to me but the hearts and leaves just turned out better. My siblings and cousins loved the wonkiness of the hearts (not perfect in any way) on the border. So go ahead take the plunge and just do the hearts free hand.

You are wonderful to your Mom. She raised you right!

What great memories of projects she's done!! Bless her