Friday, October 29, 2010

Quilt Festival - Autumn 2010!

Thank you Amy for arranging this Festival; your energy must certainly be boundless!

I'd like to talk today about Love/Hate relationships that sometimes develop with our quilts.  I've had a few quilts turn on me midway through production; in fact, one is still in the "Box of Shame" awaiting a layout that will please.  Most of the time the quilting itself redeems the piece though - whew!

Case in point:
I won a mess of strings from Tara in a bloggy giveaway.  They were mostly light and sweet, not my usual cup of tea.  (I do not own a single piece of clothing in pink!)  I started researching string quilts, bouncing around for something that really caught my eye, and decided to use a white strip in each block, but to offset the white instead of bisecting the block with it.  I added some brights from my own scraps and that helped a bit.  When I got what felt like 12,000 6-inch blocks assembled it still felt too small so I put borders on the top and bottom.  And I hated it.  It was too light, every speck of dirt would show on it, and the borders looked dorky 'cause there were only two of them - what had I done?!?


Well, I had to travel on business so I took it with me.  Agonized over how to quilt it, figuring if nothing else it would be good practice.  I decided to emphasize those diamond shapes.  Luckily I had found a neat piece of fabric (a drape I think) at the Goodwill that seemed to suit perfectly.  I played for three nights at the hotel with the quilting, finishing up after I got home.  Here's the quilting:


And after the fact - I fell in love with it!  This was gifted to my oldest friend; we met in 1969 when she moved to my area from California.  She was the only girl in second grade with unbitten fingernails!  She had eaten turtle soup!  I thought she was so exotic.  We had a gap in there during our early-married-life years, and when we reconnected it was as if no time had passed at all: it simply doesn't matter what happens in the interim, we will always be good, good friends.  Today I don't think of her as exotic, but she's the girlfriend I want to grow old with.  Do you have a friend like that?  I sure hope so.

28 comments:

  1. Your quilt is stunning! And I love the story. I've always wanted to make one like this. Maybe next year!
    Thanks for sharing and good job!
    Take Care, Karen

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  2. Have a friend like that and I love the quilt. Scraps work no matter what. It is the only way to use up pinks!

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  3. I think you did a superbe job--and I know what you mean about fabics not being quite as you imagined-my first QBF quilt was one of those, and, just like you, I grew to love mine too! Lol

    Hazle

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  4. LoVe the scrappy colors! So fun and wonderful!!

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  5. You did a fantastic job- what an eye-catching quilt! And so sweet to share with a special friend.

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  6. I love the way it turned out! Absolutely beautiful!

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  7. Love it! I have a pile of scraps waiting for a beautiful quilt like this!

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  8. What a beautiful quilt! It's so nice to have friends that stay with you for life.

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  9. This is a beautiful quilt. I love all it's scrappy goodness.

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  10. I love that layout for a strings quilt. Great work!

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  11. What a gorgeously scrappy quilt! Wonderful!

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  12. Love your story. Trying to think if I've had any love/hate relationships with a quilt, and can think of only one. Interestingly, I still have it! And all I can see in your quilt is the love. I'm sure it feels great, too!

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  13. The movement in the design is just wonderful.

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  14. Oh my gosh, I'm just wow'd by this. It is fantastic. Kind of looks like a broken mirror. Love the white added into a string quilt. This is totally going on my to do list! And what a lucky friend you have!

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  15. I have a friend like that. I call her my "forever-friend". I really like your quilt, altho I can certainly sympathize with your feelings. I have made quilts that I hated either the colors or the process or both ... and then have others find it beautiful. Yours is beautiful !!

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  16. Oooh, I just LOVE that quilt, and your friend is very lucky ;>)
    Could you tell me more about the strips width, please ? I'd be so grateful. Feel like I need to have a try on this.
    XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
    NADINE

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  17. I like that you used some white to break up the scrappy look a bit and I really like the two borders.
    Great story about enduring friendships.

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  18. I totally know what you mean about a love/hate relationship with a quilt - have a 4200 piece tumbling block that I'm still in couples therapy with LOL!!! Gorgeous quilt!!!

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  19. Very pretty - I love the finished quilt with the flow of the pattern with the colors.

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  20. yes i have a friend like that. theyre rare though so keep em close! Your quilt is just beautiful and im jealous of the gorgeous snow! xx

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  21. Great quilt! Love the look of motion and 3d ism!

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  22. Very pretty and I love the story! Thanks for sharing...and thanks for stopping by and seeing my quilt too!

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  23. I LOVE the effect that adding those white strings created!! And the top & bottom borders look great! I'm glad you were able to fall in love with it by the end, it is truly beautiful!

    ~ Meagan

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  24. Love the quilt and love the story - I'm pleased that you grew to love the quilt too once it was finished. Hope your friend appreciates it - sounds like she would!

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  25. i love your quilt and the story is a great one. i have a friend like yours that i only connect with once in a few years if we're lucky but she's precious to me. you did a lovely job on it and i like the borders!! thanks for sharing and have a great day

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