Great Aunts

What makes a Great Aunt great?

A few days ago Laura asked me if I could make her friend, Melanie, a notebook cover like I made for Laura (and a lot of other children) a Christmas or two ago.  Of course I can’t say no.  I like Melanie and Laura doesn’t ask for much.

I did get some specific instructions from Melanie on color and decoration, which are moot in a sense.  Laura’s cover was made from a practice piece of fabric and the placement of design was all by chance.  Sounds good in direction giving, but they are both only 11, what can I say.

I had a day or two for me this week because of overbooking days for a quilt I thought would take longer.  I can’t complain since it is nice to have an easy week once in a while, and I got to quilt some of my things.  I put a yard of fabric on the frame yesterday in the colors specified and after quilting it and cutting out one, there was enough to make at least one more, so I made a cover for me, too.

I can’t remember where I put the directions, I only know I found them in a magazine a year or two ago, so finding the correct magazine was going to be hard.  Looking at Laura’s cover was much easier, I could measure, I just had to remember the order of construction.

All went well and I got two little covers done today.  They are designed to fit over a Composition book you can buy for $1 at Staples for school supply season.  I usually purchase a dozen at a time because the kids like them and they are my favorite notebook to carry to meetings and take notes in.

Last photo is a shot of the lovely flowers still smelling great and looking good from my hubby for Valentine’s day.

More Rescued Tops

And so it goes…

Apparently I have also infected my best friend with the quilt rescue bug.  Until she sent me some pictures of the quilts I have quilted for her over the years, I had not realized just how many of hers are rescue quilts also.

Even though it is possibly a disease, it is not a bad one to have.  It is nice to share the desire to finish someone else’s work.

Simple blocks make a quick cover, like this brick quilt.  

The double wedding ring in orange was gifted to me by another quilter who did not particularly like orange, nor did she think she would have the time to quilt it.  It had issues in the piecing department, but still was made with love. Since I am a certified nut when it comes to orange quilts (every quilter should own at least ONE orange quilt) I took it.  Pattie was in the middle of making an orange quilt that was making her crazy and I decided to give her this double wedding ring as a birthday gift.  I begged her for the backing knowing I was going to give it back.  She was surprised alright. It actually quilted up with no problems that were insurmountable.

The lotus blossom is a beautiful rendition of a quilt my great grandmother made that ended up in my hope chest.  My quilt is a full sized quilt and has an extra set of petals.  The woman who did the hand work on this small quilt that Pattie rescued was as talented in the needle arts as my great grandma.  It is exquisite.

Another little gem Pattie found on eBay is this blue and red star.  It is not easy to piece something like this pattern and it was well done.

Ruby McKim Short blocks are a great find and these were in amazing condition.

The squares quilt is one that was mindless assembly.  There did not have to be any rhyme or reason for where the colors were placed.  It falls into my favorite category of “any color goes together” and this one was not tied together with sashing or border fabric!

And the little Dresden blocks she found unfinished are imagination at its best.  I look forward to seeing the project Pattie completes with these little gems.

Quilts Someone Loved

Rescuing quilts

Over the years since I have fallen in love with quilting and discovered the world of technology, I have bought more than my share of incomplete quilts. I have purchased blocks and tops from eBay and antique shops.  There is always something about the blocks or tops that speaks to me to make we want to take it home.

I still have blocks of my own making waiting for me to be inspired on a setting and I still have tops waiting for me to be inspired to quilt them.  Someday I will get to them.

Some day may have been the excuse of many of the people who did not finish the projects I have attracted to myself.  I feel most of the tops I have bought is the result of someone having projects left at the end of their life.  That reason above all other reasons is why I am compelled to gather them up.

I feel especially bad for the tops that go in estate sales.  They were unloved by the people who inherited the leftovers of the home.  Did they not see the love that went into each hand stitched seam?  Did they not feel the peace the person felt while sitting at rest working on something they had an idea for?  Maybe that particular quilt was for a special grand child or daughter getting married.  It just seems sad the pieces of someone’s life slipping out the door.

I have felt the presence of many such people as I take a finished piece off my quilt frame.  I know someone is up in heaven clapping her hands and feeling joy for her project finally being done, and being loved.

I am especially enamored by the tops that look ugly because the fabrics may be gaudy colors, but they have been put together with a plan.  You can see the design the maker had in mind and it all makes sense to me.  I have been inspired enough by a work I purchase that I will reproduce it myself from more current fabrics.