{Quilt by Jacquie of Tallgrass Prairie Studio}
John and the crew over at Fat Quarterly have been very kind to me over the past few weeks! I'm happy to be guest posting over on their blog today, talking about a fun new project...
Hope over to the FQ Blog to learn more!
I was so excited when Cara asked me to design covers for her new quilt patterns! I was even more excited when she emailed to tell me that several online retailers, including Fat Quarter Shop, are going to sell the patterns as PDF downloads! Cara is an incredibly talented designer and I am so happy to have been able to help her realize her dream of bringing her work to a wider audience! So without further adieu, may I present...
and M.V.Q: Most Valuable Quilt
So, which one is your favorite?
After reading a recent post on Pam's blog about quilts made from re-purposed fabrics, I was inspired to raid my mother-in-law's quilt chest which I knew contained several of these treasures.
This Fruit Basket quilt top was hand sewn by Chris' grandmother, Beatrice, using fabric remnants she got from a local curtain factory!
She made this Double Wedding Ring design from the kid's pajamas they'd grown out of.
This one is made from old pillow cases. I love the blanket stitch she added to the butterfly applique!
My mother-in-law made this one. It is a snapshot of the family's wardrobe from the seventies! With bits of double knit polyester and super-wide ties, it isn't the softest thing against the skin, but very thick and quite warm, I'd imagine!
I love Chris' grandmother's name, 'Beatrice'. It just brings the mind to a simpler age when women spent time picking blackberries instead of clicking away on one. When a women's 'my space' referred to her sewing corner and not her social networking site! I can't imagine the time it took her to hand sew those quilts! Maybe instead of doing yoga to de-stress (did they use this term then?), she momentarily lost her cares in her rythmic, even stitching.
What better way to capture your family memories than in a quilt! It's more personal than a family tree hanging on the wall or a Christmas letter you pack away and read once a year after brushing away errant red and green glitter. It tells a story like no other medium can. You can feel the soft cotton on your skin the same way your grandma felt it on hers. You can see the small flecks of aged blue where, as a child, your great uncle dropped his blackberry cobbler on his Easter best. And maybe if you hold it close enough, you can still smell the faint fresh-from-the-oven bliss of your mother's homemade bread- baked right into the fibers.
Pictures are priceless, but they can't wrap around you and keep you warm!
I'd love to hear of your family's quilt memories! Comment and share!
