History: Back in 2006, ere she and her husband (Chew) had decided it was time for them to start a family, Wonderful GrandDaughter (WGD) accompanied her mother (Dudette) and me to my local quilt store, where I had taken Beginner Quilting and Beyond Beginner Quilting classes in summer and fall of 2005. While there, I asked each of WGD and Dudette to tell me if they saw a quilt top on display that appealed to them - to give me ideas for when I got around to making each of them a quilt. WGD immediately picked out the quilt top in the two photographs, below.
When I learned that WGD and Chew were to produce the first-born of the next generation on either side of their family (dubbed NG1 for my blog), to be born in May 2010, I decided to make him a baby quilt. But...after much cogitation, I had not come up with a good idea on what such a quilt should look like. Finally, it occurred to me that the quilt that WGD had picked out would make a great baby quilt. The NG1 Baby Quilt story began.
Immediately following the trip to the quilt store with WGD and Dudette in 2006, I had purchased the fabrics that I would need to make "their" quilts. Unfortunately, by the time of our trip, the quilt tops had been on display for some time - the store no longer had all of the fabrics required to make the Wizard Cat quilt that WGD had chosen. So, I bought the two fabrics that the store did have and searched the internet for the companion fabrics that would have completed the suite of fabrics needed - . Nothing. Zip. Nada. I could not find them. Never mind, I knew that it would be some time before I got around to starting the quilt, so I decided not to worry about it.
Fast forward to late 2009. Having decided to make the Wizard Cat quilt for NG1, I went through my stash and determined that I had fabrics on hand that would produce a nice quilt. The next two photos show the theme fabric and secondary fabric for the quilt, that had been purchased in 2006.
Now come the photos of the two Batik fabrics that I had in my stash (probably purchased in 2005, when Buffy first infected me with the quilting bug), that would produce (in my mind's eye) beautiful trims. The first photo shows the fabric that was used on the inner and outer trims, and on the binding. The second photo is of the fabric used for the narrow middle trim - cutting placed such as to emphasize the beautiful greens that echoed the green arches and stonework in the theme fabric.
Finally, the only backing that I could find that remotely satisfied me is shown in the photo, below. Most backings carried by my local quilt store are white or off-white with a pattern of roses or other floral patterns. Not what I wanted for NG1's baby quilt! As it turned out, although the color was not to my liking, being olive drab greens, the pattern did echo the stars in the theme fabric. Fabulous!
The quilt in its just-started-the-quilting phase is shown, below.
Note that the only quilting done at the time the photo was taken is in the lower strip of the secondary fabric. Quilting in the secondary fabric strips was done in lop-sided star patterns to, again, echo the theme fabric. Why did I do this rather than quilting the pinwheels of the original quilt top that WGD liked? Long story.
About the time that I got started on the quilt, my back started giving me fits. For at least three months I could not sit to sew for more than a very few minutes at a time - for some weeks, I could not sit at all. I could only stand or lie down. In addition, my hands are too shaky to do much detailed work, so that limited me in what I could reasonably expect to do.
Having pre-shrunk the materials prior to cutting, and having no possibility of purchasing more than the Wizard Cat fabric that I already had on hand, I calculated that the triangular pieces in the 12 pinwheels would be an extremely odd size, and that cutting and piecing had to be done to more precision than I felt I could muster. Heh, heh, heh. An engineer to the core, I solved the problem by omitting the pinwheels and quilting in star patters.
Thus ends Part I of A Tale of Two Quilts.
You certainly put a lot of hard work into your quilting CC....but OH, how I love it. To get one of your pieces as a present is truly a very special thing.....they are just so beautiful. ~Joy
Posted by: Joy | March 05, 2011 at 09:35 AM
I am so delighted that I am to blame for "INFECTING" you with the quilting bug! lol I love the batiks, of course, and you are SO smart to adjust the pattern to your needs and preferences. I never totally make a kit or pattern that someone else has designed exactly as they have made it. It wasn't a conscious thought, it just sort of happened that way, and I'm always happier with my versions. Usually our growth comes from having to work with too little of a fabric, as in your case, or some times we have too many to choose from, and want to use them all. We should treasure the quilts that are our personal expressions, and I am sure that WGD and NG1 do, and will treasure your quilt!
Posted by: buffy | March 05, 2011 at 08:14 PM
Wow - what the process - and you aren't even done yet!
Posted by: bogie | March 06, 2011 at 05:40 AM
Joy & Bogie--Non-quilters have no idea what goes into making a quilt. My mother enjoyed hand piecing and, when she finished a quilt top she would hire the quilting done. Mom really enjoyed doing her piecing and other "fancy work" as she called her crocheting. I'm happy that she enjoyed it because it really is a lot of work.
Buffy--You, above all my blog friends, understand what goes into a quilt. I am overwhelmed with the number of full-sized, queen-sized, or king-sized quilts that you have completed. Your quilts are all done with precision and great artistry. Yes, I do "blame" you! *laughing* Did you ever post a photo of the jewel-toned quilt that you made, after the quilting and binding were completed? That quilt (as many of yours are) is museum quality in my mind/eye. I'll look for that photo now that I can see decently.
Posted by: Cop Car | March 06, 2011 at 05:31 PM