Quiltin'Lady

OK, all you clever folk, I need your advice/suggestions...

I've promised to make a wall hanging for a dear friend. She has a lot of antiques in her house and old "collectibles," but she doesn't like "frou-frou" or overly feminine/fussy things. What came to mind when I first brought up the idea was something in a more contemporary design, but done in '30s fabrics and a lot of white.

She's just sent me an email: For years, I have been saving the little embroidered pieces that my grandmother made on dish towels (the towel wears out and I cut off the handiwork…). I also have a thing for various motifs including cups, teapots, fans, and roses. I have very little wall space but am putting all of these various things into a hopper (my mind) and I will see if I can concoct at least a vision of elements and see where you might go with it.

So..... Does anyone have a good idea for incorporating some/all of these motifs: bits of embroidery, cups/teapots, fans, roses....?? And rather than '30s fabric, now I'm thinking something with vintage roses or such. Your thoughts?

She really liked my little quilt grouping (http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-18974-1.htm), so something like that might be an option, too.

Anyway, I look forward to what your creative minds will come up with! :lol: Thanks for your help!

PaperPrincess

This sounds like the page in the dictionary that defines "Victorian Crazy Quilt"

Greenheron

Applique cups and saucers (different sizes) and tea pots made of the embroidered remnants or if the embroidered bits are too small, use them as decorative motifs on the dishes. If you use white, or lights for the china, each dish or set of dishes could be featured on a different (floral) background. If she has saved crochet work, doilies would be fun under the saucers or on their own.........

sewingsusie

sounds like something victorian--i like thr roses,pink,lace,dilies etc.Tea cups and tea pots. I like Greenheron ideas.

greensleeves

Same thought here but not done in heavier, dark colors.

QuiltingJaguar

I have been doing the same thing, go to estate sales and pick up the stained furniture scarfs and etc, cut off the good parts from people who put a lot into them. and making a crazy quilt with them as the center of each square.

Quiltin'Lady

These are all great ideas! Thanks. Would anyone know of a photo I could find of something like this that I could send to my friend? (she's not a quilter and may not be able to visualize it just from my description)

lots2do

I just looked at your link and your blue and white quilts are wonderful. And much safer, too!
I don't know if you've seen this link:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-137859-2.htm#3721669

This might work for the little bits of embroidery. (It would put the focus on her work). Make sure that you show us what you end up doing, sounds like an interesting challenge!

Greenheron

There is a nice pieced teacup pattern athttp://www.fvqg.org/09archiv/0409.htm

Teapot:http://ayumills.blogspot.com/2009/01...t-pattern.html

This one has a great mug from floral fabric :http://www.equiltpatterns.com/quiltp...roducts_id=140

peregrine blue on Flicker shows a great block using rescued bits....might be just the thing: www.flickr.com/groups/quilted_teacup/

Quiltin'Lady

Oh, thank you both! These are great ideas -- especially Peregrine Blue's "shabby chic" quilt. That's especially wonderful.

My difficulty is that while I enjoy and can appreciate crazy quilts, I think it would quite literally make me crazy to make one. I don't know if it's a latent OCD thing or not, but it's just about impossible for me to design something that's random or unsymmetrical. The few times I've managed to make something like that have been when I've copied someone else's design exactly, twitching the entire time! :lol:

I'm going to send PB's photo to my friend and cross my fingers that she says, "Oh, that's very pretty, but not quite what I had in mind..."

I'll keep you posted...........