I'm a relatively new quilter with only a few quilts under my belt. I'm currently working on this, which will be my favorite for sure. Until I start and finish the next one!
So to choose my favorite finished quilt for the festival, I picked this one. Not only is it cute, this little quilt has a great story!
click to get a better view!
Well, when I got pregnant with my first, my mom and I decided to resurrect the old project and breathe some new life into it. So we went through her stash of 40s reproduction prints and decided to use a lot of different fabrics so it would be more gender-neutral. So we cut out the sashings, and I managed to sew that main part together.
Then my mom took over again and she put on the borders.
My Aunt Mary quilted it on her long-arm machine, my mom sewed the binding on, and I handstitched it down.
I finally finished it a few months before my SECOND was born. (Remember that procrastinating problem?) Even when we got it all put together it still took me forever to sit down and do the handsewing. I really didn't think I would enjoy that part very much - it's grown on me since.
Thanks so much to my mom who helped not just with the sewing and cutting but with the overall look of the quilt and to Mary for doing such a great job on the quilting. I'm really pleased with how it turned out, and it's so cute I'm not sure I really want anyone spitting up all over it. So for now it's hanging on the wall in the playroom.
What's funny (or sad, you decide) is that it took over 20 years, 3 people and many locales to get this thing done. Here's a list of the places it's been worked on:
embroidery - Annandale, VA
Sashing cut - Draper, UT
Sashings sewn - Oceanside, CA (thanks Allyn for letting me use your machine back then!)
Borders sewn - Draper, UT
Machine Quilting - Tooele, UT
Initial binding sewn - Draper, UT
Final handstiching - Stafford, VA
At least it started and ended in Virginia - but sheesh, what a trek. I am kind of glad we didn't put it together way back then - I think the fabrics we had available to us recently make it really cute - who knows what 80's influence would have been at work had we completed it back then! But I love that I have something that my mom, aunt and I worked on together.
88 crafty mcCrafters commented:
I just blogged about a quilt almost like this last week!
What a great quilt to have around for the memories!
Thanks for sharing!
what a wonderful quilt! and such a sweet story to go with it.
Great story!
Great quilt!
Something for your children to fight over when they have children of their own.
Andi :-)
Stunning quilt! And such a good story. Having so many members of your family help work on it makes it truly special.
It is a truly special quilt, because all of you have worked together on it. Don't be afraid to let the kids use it though; it will be even more special when it's loved to threadbareness by the next generation. Trust me on that one! :)
That definitely was a great quilt story. The quilt is lovely and the embroidered block designs bring back some childhood memories.
omg this is too stinkin' cute for words.
LOVE it.
this quilt is beautiful! who cares if it took you that long to finish it? i'm the queen bee of procrastinating but i truly believe that if you rush a project simply to 'finish it', it may not turn out as great as when you mull it over for awhile.
Great story. Lovely quilt. I noticed Oceanside,CA (I used to live in Fallbrook) and Stafford, VA (I lived there in 1983-84.)
I love the horse block!
Very fun quilt, Amy!
a great quilt with a really great story behind it!
What a wonderful story!
Thanks for sharing the story. What an amazing task putting this all together.
The blocks are delightful.
I've not seen this one! So adorable - I love that you DID finish it :) The joint effort and numerous locations make it so special - I'm sure you have lots of memories. Thanks for sharing it :)
Seriously adorable! And what a great (long) story! ;->
This is a great story and a great quilt. I wish I had more crafty people to share projects with. Treasure it!
its adorable.
I love it.
Maria
Just beautiful!
You are so lucky to be surrounded by such talented and supportive people. I decided just this week to stop feeling guilty about leaving projects undone for a period of time. I have come to realize that it is a part of the creative process that allows me to come back at something with renewed passion and motivation. The improtant thing is that you keep doing what you love with passion! Thanks for sharing your work, it's lovely.
Neat story.....way not to give up on a project! You should be so proud!!
what a wonderful quilt and story too.
What a wonderful quilt, and a BRILLIANT story! It really makes me feel nostalgic and hopeful for my own girls (oldest is 12 now) all at the same time!
Thank you, thank you for posting about this quilt.
Cheers,
Dionne
wonderful quilt with a really neat story
What a cool story. Now I wish I had made something when I was twelve :)
Awww what a sweet story. And all the family history involved in the construction. It will be an heirloom for sure.
This is adorable! What a story to have to match the quilt. It is a wonderful family treasure I am sure. Congrats to you for finishing such an adorable project.
I think it makes it all the more special that you, your mom and aunt worked on it together. The blocks are precious.
How sweet!!!!! Think of the family history. You DID make a label?---right!
Hugs!
That's a neat story -- nothing sad about it!
Wonderful story, thanks for sharing. This is what your kids will fight over later in life. ;-)
Lovely quilt and lovely story. Thanks for sharing.
That is a very cute quilt. And the story behind it just makes me smile. Thanks so much for sharing! :)
I love all things 1930s and 40s, but I've never been able to do hand embroidery. I just have a hard time picking up a needle. I don't think they fit in my hand.
You're right, this is a GREAT story! And a beautiful quilt. I think the wall is a perfect place for it!
what a cute quilt!! i'm sure it was so exciting to get it done after 20 years!!
Amy, it's lovely. Sometimes the long journeys are the best.
This proves that persistence pays off. Beautiful quilt.
Very cute embroidery.
Lovely story and repro fabrics!
What a great story! I think you triumphed and finally got it done. It doesn't really matter how long it took, you got it done, before you had grandchildren! It is really beautiful and a real treasure.
Oh, I just love that quilt!!!! And especially love the story behind it. Thanks for sharing!
What a wonderful quilt.
I think it's neat that it traveled all over the place getting finished. Beautiful!
What a terrific family project - I'm sure it will be treasured by generations to come also!
The story is wonderful...the quilt is just too lovely for words. It was worth the 20 yr wait wasn't it?
Wonderful ending to a fantastic story .
Aren't you glad you hung onto those blocks
Some quilts have to take that long to be just right! I have my own that have taken 10 or so years and are eaually well travelled. You are not alone in this! :o) Well worth the waiting for. Its lovely :o)
what a great story and a lovely quilt. personal quilts are the best
I {heart} this quilt! What a fabulous story and I love that it took so long to come to fruition...that is a true work of love. Bravo!
It's neither funny nor sad that your quilt took a long while to come into being. With its travels and with family helping, it has a wonderful story to go with it now as well as a great history. It's become a real treasure.
Maria
What a great family story to pass on!
Wow, what a fantasic story to go with your great quilt. I can't believe that you still had the blocks after all that time :-)
I loved your story and the quilt. I am on the list and I am thrilled to have found your blog!
Micki
I think the number of people involved and their relationships and locations make it even more special!
I love it Amy! It's so fun to have such a history behind the things we make. It's fun when you can tell a story about something you have made. I love the embroidery you did way back when!
Wow, what a neat story! I love your quilt!
A lovely quilt - and story! I'm sure this will be a special quilt for you.
What a great quilt and a good story to go with it, too. I love the retro fabrics.
Love all the different fabrics. The blocks are so pretty. Just goes to show it's never to late to finish up a quilt.
I like that you used all those different fabrics in the sashing.
Great story - and you should be proud that you finished it because it truly is pretty!
Sometimes the slowest projects turn out the best.
very cute.
love your other quilts!
I love the quilt! You are so talented! Tell everyone in the preschool group "hi"
so dang cute! love it!
Making a quilt is a journey so this quilt is doubly blessed because it has been on an actual journey while it got made!
Please, please, please print out this post and put it in a safe place (maybe in a pocket on the back of the quilt?) so that when your kids get grown they will have this wonderful story to go with this cherished piece of (what is now) family history.
Kudos to you, your mom and aunt!
Great story and what an heiloom and sew many memories sewed together. Great job.
What a beautiful quilt and lovely story. That is one quilt that took a very long time to complete!
I love it- I had a similiar quilt as a child that I remember. Great story too- and I love your profile/description-sounds like my life :)
You're quilt is wonderful----the images you embroidered are so reminiscent of illustrations from picture books years ago. Your story is a beautiful affirmation of the fact that "it's about the journey". So many people participated in this wonderful creation. Lucky you!
I love your quilt. I did blocks like that as a teenager, thinking I would make a quilt for my chldren, I never had kids so my niece ended up with it.
The only thing better than a finished quilt is a finished quilt with a great story attached! Lovely work.
I don't have a quilt that has been sitting around for 20 years but I do have one that has been sitting for 16. It is a wall-hanging I made for my son when he was a baby. The top is done but it needs to be quilted. I figure it will be for a grandchild someday. I'll have more time then right? Great job on a sweet quilt.
Thats adorable.
janie
That sure is one adorable quilt! I am sure it will be treasured for years to come.
I loved the story of how it all came to be!
Great story and good for you for seeing it through to the end!
That is a wonderful story, and you have written it all down and put the important stuff on a label on the back - right! You were wondering what the the 80 influence would have been if you had finished it then - try - polyester - so no spit up would have soaked in - just rolled off on YOU. Thanks for sharing.
Outstanding job and great story.
Cute quilt for the festival. Love the baby animals - notjustnat
I love that you finally made a home for your handiwork. A couple of years ago I made pillows out of cross-stitched pieces that were sitting in a box under my bed. It was a great feeling to display and share beautiful handwork. Good Job!
I liked your "map" of where the quilt had been --thanks for the cute story to go along with the adorable finished work. You, your mom and aunt have a wonderful collaboration that the family should treasure forever.
You can still get the pattern for the Baby Animal Embroidery if you want to start this tradition in your family:
http://sunbonnetsue.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=148
Such a great story! Beautiful work.
VERY cute! love the baby animals.
:)
My friend just sent me a link to your blog, I'm glad I discovered it! This quilt is so cute, what a great heirloom. I think you're right, it might not have turned out so cute 20 years ago, so good job on the procrastinating! I love your furniture redos too. I have a habit of dragging home old ugly furniture (and lotsof other junk) from the trash/yard sale, whatever that my husband just LOVES! Ha Ha. So anyway, I have been spending a lot of time painting a bunch of it lately and lo and behold it is turning out pretty cute! It's amazing what a can of paint can do! your table with 4 chairs is a great find- I would totally not have passed those up either. Anyway, I love how your green dresser turned out!
Elisabeth
Maybe it was good that you were not able to finish it back then, now you have a lovely story to tell behind this quilt. It can surely be a family keepsake.
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