miriam

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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mckwilter

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.

GingerK

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.

Tartan

Cute top! If you have enough fabric, I might cut the backing into 4 and piece a strip both ways to look like a present with ribbon on the back. That way it doesn't look pieced but a design element.

miriam

I like the way you think.

Toni C

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

bjchad

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.

GEMRM

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.

DOTTYMO

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.

miriam

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.