Yippee! The first finish of 2011! And the embarrassing thing is that it only took 30 minutes to finish...I only needed to quilt something simple on the four corners. Why I couldn't "inconvenience" myself to finish it sooner is beyond me.
I stumbled on some notes and found that I started this project in 1994...I wanted a hand piecing baggie project at the time and thought that it would be fun to go through my scraps and cut one bowtie from each thing that caught my fancy. I hand pieced the bowties over the next few years. Then the stack of finished bowties sat around for a while. Then I assembled them without borders and THAT lanquished for a while.
Then I was trimming my stash and found enough fabric to border the bowties, which then sat some more before it was basted and finally hand quilted. Well, you get the idea. This quilt just wasn't in any hurry to be finished.
Each bowtie block is 6 inches, finished. I just love scrappy quilts, and especially love a "charm" scrappy quilt where every fabric is only used once. This kind of project shows my love of the quilting process...each step was therapy...fabric therapy. Each block is a record that a particular fabric existed in time. My husband and I were newly married and he used to read aloud to me while I worked. I can look at some of these blocks and remember snatches of stories.
It was slowly cut out by tracing plastic templates and cutting with good scissors after pressing each large scrap as it emerged from the jumble bag of scraps that I used at the time. Just like some people like to peel an apple with the peel snaking down in one long, curly, unbroken ribbon, when I use scissors to cut fabric pieces apart, I try to keep the mimimal fabric waste in one unbroken piece. Isn't that weird?
Then each block was slowly, individually hand pieced...just whenever I had a spare moment. Lots of time for petting and loving each fabric.
I'm such a freakin' fabric addict!
It's not a quilt to be entered into a show, not a particular prize, just part of our family inventory of quilts that we will use. Then maybe it will be part of my daughter's household some day. I love the old historic practice of a girl entering into a marriage with a collection of homemade quilts...part of her dowry and responsibility upon entering the partnership or just a part of her first home by herself.
OK...what UFO with it's own history will I attack next?
In stitches,
Teresa :o)
I love it!! Such a beautiful scrappy quilt! I just love the quilts story!! It will be a family heirloom to pass down. I'm so glad that you were able to finish it!!! Hugs Ariane
ReplyDeleteI love this post! I love that it is an older UFO. I love the story behind it especially that you can look at some blocks and remember parts of the stories your husband read aloud to you. I am so amazed that you did it by hand, WOW!! I love scrap quilts too and yours is incredible!
ReplyDeleteLove Bow Ties! And such a lovely story. Quilting should not be done in a hurry (if possible). You enjoy it so much more!
ReplyDeleteoh I love bow ties, this is a great scrappy quilt, so glad you finished it I know it will be loved and used.
ReplyDeletehmmm maybe I need to make a little bow tie quilt now!
Happy new year congrats on your first finish.
Kathie
great finish! bet you are glad. I love the hand pieced and hand quilted quilts of course as that is what I do too. I have a bow tie quilt waiting in line to be quilted.
ReplyDeleteKaren
http://karensquilting.com/blog/
I must admit I had a good belly laugh when you told me it took you a whole 30 minutes to finish but hey, it's finished and is full of lovely memories :0)
ReplyDeleteCrispy
Love your quilt. You are an inspiration to all of us with WIP that have been sitting around for a few years. Keep going girl!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great scrap quilt. I love bow tie quilts and have made several. Yours is great.
ReplyDeleteWeird, you? no way :)
I love the quilting done on the border...
ReplyDeleteI love the scrappy bow ties and the way you quilted them. It's funny how things that we think are going to take a long time can be finished up in a pretty short amount of time. Glad you have a finish already.
ReplyDeleteA freakin fabric addict... That is going to be my new catch phrase! Your quilt is fabulous. I just love scrappy quilts too. Not that the preplanned ones are not very pretty, but there is something that speaks to my soul in scrappy quilts. Having a show stopper (like it would ever happen) is not at all appealing to me. I find a bigger reward in having someone I love wrapped up in my quilt and wearing it out. And if I remember right the origin of all this was necessity and they were made of bits and pieces of whatever you could get your hands on. Your quilt is B E A U T I F U L. I want to make a bowtie quilt now, but I am going to cheat and machine piece mine I am afraid! Thanks for inspiring me.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see this quilt in person. I hope you bring it to Friday quilting at the barn. The part about cutting around a shape apple peal style is so cool. That way you, um, have more fabric left for whatever follows.
ReplyDeleteThat story trilled me - and I love your quilt. But laughing at you when you toll it just took you 30 min to quit the quilt...fun fun ;-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for giving a great heartly story.
Hugs from Helle
love the stories, and the bowtie quilt. hmmm, some chocolate sayings..like "chocolate is a vegetable, right?" The fifth food group, chocolate" and "The balanced diet, a chocolate chip cookie in each hand."
ReplyDelete