Friday, May 25, 2018

An old-fashioned finish

The rain has finally stopped!  Okay, it has stopped for now, because it's going to rain again this weekend,  but we have had enough of a respite to cut the grass, plant some new plants, clear away the broken branches, and generally breathe again.  The sunshine has been wonderful, and that grass was getting really, really tall.  Better weather makes you feel human again.  And, you know, it's nice that some of the mud is gone, too.

The beautiful weather for the last couple of days also let me take some pictures of a great finished quilt (if I do say so myself!)  Here is the finish that has me seriously smiling:


Whoo-hoo! This is a quilt I just can't stop calling Grandma's Quilt.  I started this long ago as a project for RSC16, finished the top in January, and now it is a cozy, finished quilt.


I love this quilt so much.  The block is the modern version of a block made by my great grandmother, which is one of my most treasured possessions.  (If you're interested, a tutorial for the block is HERE.)  The blocks are each 12 inches and are made with hand-dyed fabrics from Vicki Welsh, except for the white, which is all a basic Kona white.  After I took these pictures, which involve dirt and nature, I washed the quilt and not a single one of the hand dyes ran.  Not one! Not even the burgundy block.  I wouldn't buy hand dyes from anyone else.


The backing for this quilt is a vintage sheet, which turned out to be a great backing!  The colors are perfect with the top and it is so soft and cozy.  The binding is very narrow in a pale blue, mostly because that's all the fabric I had left.  The quilt finished up at just about 75 by 86.


Grandma's Quilt was quilted by Diane Minkley, and she did a fabulous job!  The simple feather is kind of old-fashioned and modern at the same time.  It really shows up well because I used wool batting, which is very light and very warm.  I hand-stitched the binding to the back of the quilt and I had to lay the quilt on the coffee table instead of on my lap because it was so warm.  Wool quilt in summer equals heat stroke, I think.


I could literally weep when I look at this quilt.  There's a real difference between having the top finished and having the quilt finished, and finally having it finished makes me feel like I have honored my great-grandmother and made something she would be happy with.  Gosh, that's sappy, isn't it?  I think she would get it, though.


Now that I have finished this one, I'm going to relax all weekend, when it will be raining yet again.  It's Memorial Day weekend in the US, so we'll be going to the parade and then breaking in our new grill.  Burgers on the deck!  We may also go check out some tall ships if the weather allows.  I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend as well!


Sharing at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Finished or Not Friday, crazymomquilts, and soscrappy for RSC18.

31 comments:

Danice G said...

Oh Mari, such a colorful and pretty quilt. Your quilting is awesome as well. Have a happy memorial Day weekend.

Chris said...

It's lovely!

Alison V. said...

This is so pretty! I love it!

Vicki in MN said...

What a beautiful quilt that will remind you of your GGma, congrats on a fine finish.

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

lovely quilt a nice simple design that makes those bold colors just stand out

Bernie Kringel said...

I love this one and remember the blocks well. Nice to have it all finished up. The colors are wonderful. I don't think it is sappy to have this as a remembrance of your grandmother. It is really sweet. If you put a label on it, explaining why this honors her, then whomever ends up with it 50 years down the road will know. It is special.
Have a fun weekend. We are going to finish tearing out that deck. It is 49 degrees outside and raining today. How odd for us at the end of May.

Frédérique - Quilting Patchwork Appliqué said...

Lovely quilt, I love the colors, the block, the quilting!

Home Sewn By Us said...

Hi Mari,
What a fabulous homage to your great grandmother! She would love it as it is truly beyond lovely. I adore all the fabrics you selected - I can see all the quilty goodness.
Happy Friday! ~smile~ Roseanne

Preeti said...

Breathtakingly beautiful So juicy like a sherbet stand in a county fair. What would you like blueberry, grape, mango or strawberry? You have all the flavors!!!

Brenda @ Songbird Designs said...

This is such a beautiful quilt and a great way to remember your grandmother! My grandmother taught me the love of sewing and quilting as well! Great job!

Jenny said...

You have every right to be so proud of your beautiful quilt, it is lovely indeed. And a wonderful way to honour and remember your grandmother.

Jo said...

Such a beautiful finish. I would love snuggling under this quilt.

Quiltdivajulie said...

What a FABULOUS finish -- no wonder it is making you weepy with happiness. (And we've had afternoon thunderstorms here every day this week -- just the time of year apparently).

somethingrosemade14@blogspot.com said...

This quilt is so beautiful with a wonderful story and pretty photos to share. This quilt will definitely brighten any room it's in and will always give you good memories; those are the best kind of quilts aren't they? Enjoy your Holiday. I keep telling you, I love the trees around your house.

laughing gas quilts said...

That quilt is beautiful! No wonder you love it. It sort of stretches across the genres of quilting from the traditional to the modern in much the same way the inspiration for it stretches across the generations of your family. Bravo! It's perfect.

scraphappy said...

What a wonderful quilt. Your sentiment isn't sappy at all. So touching that a quilt block connects you to your ancestors. Also, the quilt is beautiful! Fabulous fabrics, pattern, quilting, backing....perfect!

Jamie Janow Elfert said...

Your quilt is awesome! A perfect example of why the Rainbow Challenge is so much fun.

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

it's beautiful! congratulations : )

maggie fellow said...

It is wonderful quilts like this that helped start my interest in quilting.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

That really is beautiful, Mari! Your blocks are so full of color, and I love the pieced border, too. Congratulations on this finish!

Quilter Kathy said...

Congratulations on a fabulous finish! It's just stunning!

Katie Z. said...

Nicely done!

SandyPA said...

What a lovely quilt - old fashioned with a modern air. Your great-grandmother is surely proud of you! Sandy at sewhigh.blogspot.com

Ivani said...

This is a wonderful quilt Mari!!!

JanineMarie said...

This quilt is breathtaking and so special since it relates to your great grandmother. It's fun to see the blocks again and all quilted up, and I think, given its historical reference, it will be a treasured quilt in your family. Have a fun holiday weekend, Mari!

Marti said...

Congratulations on your finish, that is a really pretty quilt.

Thank you for commenting on my blog. I didn't get an email copy of your comment and found that I hadn't checked the box for that when I set up my new blog.

Louise said...

Gorgeous! It's so light and springy, and I love the vintage sheet backing. Congrats on the very fine finish :)

quiltingbydawn said...

Love this finish! I love the colors and how you used the color for the background of the blocks! It is so bright and cheerful and a great memory of your great grandmother. Congrats!

Kate said...

Congrats on a gorgeous finish! Hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend.

Sara said...

It’s really gorgeous! I may have to try out this block. The secondary design it makes is very striking.

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

Awww - you deserve to relax now!! It is a fabulous quilt! I love Vicki's hand dyes too and this really showcased them - way to go!