Wedding Quilt the final chapter
It is done HURRAH! Not only done but in the mail with weeks to spare. Was I completely satisfied with the final results, no, I rarely am. It seems that no matter how carefully I pin seams for sewing, vertical elements somehow don’t match up somewhere. I have come to accept this as a fact of my quilting life, so I no longer lose sleep, or get grey hairs over it. Check back for picture of the quilt process later once we get them printed, sorted, and saved.
If I had enough foresight I would have pieced the top as one whole unit with under sashing, but this was a SUMMER quilt project. I wasn’t supposed to spend so many evenings wrapped up under a quilt while reading or watching tv.
On the small crafts front - I have eight Halloween cards partially finished. Will buy a baby’s first Halloween one for the newly arrived granddaughter. Then it is on to the start of Christmas cards. The next quilt project is pin basted, ready to quilt once the weather cools off - pushing 90 in Vermont in the first week of September, where was that in August? This one is a Wizard of OZ quilt for our daughter and her man friend, (well he’s not a boy)! More about the Wiz later.
The Christmas Oz
2008
Pattern: Lancaster as seen in Sept/Oct Quiltmaker
Machine stitched, hand quilted
My daughter asked for a new larger quilt for Christmas. No options given for color or design. Looking through a Keepsake Quilters catalog in the children’s section: Wizard of Oz print fabric.
The fabric was a panel of movie stills - the largest 4″s square. I pulled out a pattern I had made before that makes good use of large scale prints. Lanacaster as seen in the Sept/Oct ‘03 issue of Quiltmaker.
Order the material. I like using this shop for mail order, I put the check in the mail one day and it seems like the order arrives the next. I have also been into their shop in NH.
The fabric order was 2 panels, a montage, with yellow bricks, wicked witch, and ruby slippers. I had the fabric mentally in place and then it arrived!
First sign that maybe this wasn’t going to go as planned was an “oops” note from Keepsake. Seems the panel’s largest square was 16″ not 4″. I could send the fabric back - no questions asked. Instead I shuffled fabric, bought another yard of montage from Jo-Ann’s & viola a quilt top was born. This pattern is BIG squares & rectangles. After all that I ended up with enough extra fabric for the better part of a wall hanging. (Lemonade from Lemons with extra juice for a chaser)
So don’t be afraid to think outside the box - or square - who knows what you can craft!
Jaden’s World - 2003
Wall Hanging
Pattern: My own based on the pattern from Once Upon A Quilt by Bonnie Kaster and Virgina Athey
Machine pieced and hand appliqued. Hand quilted
This was the fourth grandchild’s worlds quilt, and the second based on Once Upon A Quilt. The third grandchild’s quilt is very similar but with Hansel and Gretel’s Gingerbread House in the center. In addition to fussy cut fabric applique there are also commerical appliques, home printed fabric, buttons, beads, and faux jewels.
Bamboo fiber comes from 3-4 year old Bamboo from Yunnan and Sicuan Provinces in China. It’s 100% natural cellulose fiber will biodegrade in soil or sunshine. Because of natural occurring “Bamboo Kun”, an anti-bacteria substance, even after many washing it still has a very high resistance to bacteria growth. Bamboo, because of its micro gaps/holes, allows apparel to better absorb moisture and also gives very good ventilation. With it’s good moisture vapor transmission property it takes dyes well, lending itself to sweaters, bathing suits, mats, blankets, and towels. Add its anti-bacterial properties it makes good sanitary products such as bandages, masks, medical wears. Being ultraviolet-proof means it will show up in home decorating fabrics soon also.
With all it’s plus factors it is not surprising that bamboo fiber batting,(available at some stores) has made its way into the quilting market.
What is next? Panda brand breakfast cereal? High in fiber soaks up lots of milk and stays crisp, and it will have a long shelf life - coming to your cereal shelves soon!
