Folks... I thought that now the election is over, maybe we can talk about something fun for a change!
My youngest son just announced a new grandchild will be born in May- their first. Naturally, I had to start digging through my quilt patterns and see what looked like fun.
Here are the two I made for my first two grandsons (now 5 and 6 1/2 years old... boy, time flies!!) I had to tell my daughter that they were made to USE... she wanted to put them away in a cedar chest, because "they were too nice"!
Well, I prewashed everything, and hand quilted them closely enough that they stood up to 3 years of washing each, and the last time I saw them, they still looked nearly new. Good fabrics and attention to detail when you start makes a lot of difference in how things hold up.
The first one was a pattern that came in every size from crib to king... it would be a lot of work to make into a king size quilt, but it could be so much fun! Hubby took a look at it when I was about halfway through piecing it, and asked "what color do you call THAT?" I laughed, and replied "crayon box!" What can I say- I like color!
The second one is a pattern I've always wanted to do, but I hate having to make "Y" seams. Then I found a book by someone who redesigned the pattern to use all triangles. If you look closely, you can see everything that looks like a diamond is actually two triangles sewn together. The batik fabrics I used help disguise the seams, though, as does careful pressing.
I wouldn't mind making some for sale, but between the cost of good fabrics these days and the time they take (especially when you hand quilt them- call me old fashioned, but I hate most machine quilting, even when I'm muttering under my breath about how much time it would save me!), it would be hard to get anywhere near what they'd be "worth"- and that's only with minimum wage figures.
Still, it's my "art", and it makes me feel good making them. It's a nice break from cows, dogs, horses, and the crazy world out there! When I get the one I'm piecing now finished, I'll post a picture of it. It's different- a variation of the stacked blocks pattern, but on a dark background, and I'm not sure I like it as well. It's a lot more practical, though!
Summerthyme
My youngest son just announced a new grandchild will be born in May- their first. Naturally, I had to start digging through my quilt patterns and see what looked like fun.
Here are the two I made for my first two grandsons (now 5 and 6 1/2 years old... boy, time flies!!) I had to tell my daughter that they were made to USE... she wanted to put them away in a cedar chest, because "they were too nice"!
Well, I prewashed everything, and hand quilted them closely enough that they stood up to 3 years of washing each, and the last time I saw them, they still looked nearly new. Good fabrics and attention to detail when you start makes a lot of difference in how things hold up.
The first one was a pattern that came in every size from crib to king... it would be a lot of work to make into a king size quilt, but it could be so much fun! Hubby took a look at it when I was about halfway through piecing it, and asked "what color do you call THAT?" I laughed, and replied "crayon box!" What can I say- I like color!
The second one is a pattern I've always wanted to do, but I hate having to make "Y" seams. Then I found a book by someone who redesigned the pattern to use all triangles. If you look closely, you can see everything that looks like a diamond is actually two triangles sewn together. The batik fabrics I used help disguise the seams, though, as does careful pressing.
I wouldn't mind making some for sale, but between the cost of good fabrics these days and the time they take (especially when you hand quilt them- call me old fashioned, but I hate most machine quilting, even when I'm muttering under my breath about how much time it would save me!), it would be hard to get anywhere near what they'd be "worth"- and that's only with minimum wage figures.
Still, it's my "art", and it makes me feel good making them. It's a nice break from cows, dogs, horses, and the crazy world out there! When I get the one I'm piecing now finished, I'll post a picture of it. It's different- a variation of the stacked blocks pattern, but on a dark background, and I'm not sure I like it as well. It's a lot more practical, though!
Summerthyme
