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december 19, 2007
this quilt rocks I know you want me to get back to the knitting already, but I can't just yet. For one, I haven't touched the afghan since I blogged about it last week (instead I've finished every other Christmas gift!). And b, I am practically peeing in my pants with excitement to tell you about these next projects! First, a future project.
When we did early Christmas this weekend, mom brought me a fabric bundle to make the Color Wheel quilt from Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts Next up, one finished Christmas gift.
My great aunt's asian quilt is all done and it has come out sooooo beautifully that I want one just like it. This is actually my very first "full-sized" finished quilt. I'd quilted and done the binding on my wee mini-quilt, but this time it was for real. And it was a gift, so you know I had to do my absolute best. I spent about four hours sewing down the binding (hey quilters, is that a crazy long time or normal?) and what a difference it makes. I love that it isn't just one color. Amy Karol
I finished off the quilt with a fabric quilt label made with inkjet printer fabric and following the instructions in the Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts
And last, but definitely not least, a surprise project. I couldn't blog about it because it was for hubby. I had to work on it over at friends' houses and when he went out to the gym. It's not done yet, but I managed to get it to a point where I could wrap it up and give it to him for early Christmas.
It's a quilt made from his old concert and high school t-shirts! About two years ago my mother-in-law gave me a bag of some of his old t-shirts she'd saved and asked if I could do anything with it. I thought maybe I could and once I started quilting, I knew what I had to do.
Almost from the beginning, I had envisioned finding some black and white check fabric to set off the squares for a 90's rock 'n roll kind of look. When I found the check in flannel at Quilters Way, I decided that flannel was the way to go for the whole quilt. The old t-shirts are super soft, not crisp like quilting cotton, so the flannel really keeps that whole feel across the entire quilt. The back is a solid blue jean colored flannel that is so soft that you just want to snuggle up in it, even if you don't like Meatloaf!
It still needs a binding (I didn't even have time to remove all my basting pins), but even unfinished, hubby loved it. He was so surprised to see those old t-shirts he'd totally forgotten about. We've agreed that when it's all done it can't be folded up and put in some drawer somewhere. It'll be out by the sofa or, if we ever move to a house with more wall space, maybe even hung up to see. Isn't that nice?! Quilting rocks! posted by alison at 9:47 am | in
a crafty christmas
,
are you going to start quilting now?!
Comments
Hi Alison, This quilt is absolutely AWESOME! Posted by: Oblivia at December 19, 2007 10:15 AMYou are really zooming along in the quilting dept.! The Asian quilt is so peaceful looking, and the backing fabric is wonderfully alive! A great combination, I'd say. So pretty. I've asked my dil to save my dgd's little dresses for me to make her a quilt similar to the memory quilt you made for hubby. So far she hasn't saved anything, so Amelie probably won't get one. :0/ I'm sure your hubby is thrilled, and that quilt deserves a place of honour! Way to go, Alison! Posted by: samm at December 19, 2007 10:16 AMthose are sooooo cool! i'm really impressed. you are inspiring me. i got very frustrated with sewing (which i picked up a few months ago). but you're inspiring me to try again. :) Posted by: Leslie at December 19, 2007 10:28 AMThat Colorwheel quilt is going to be *gorgeous*. And wow, you've been so busy--your family and friends will be truly blessed by your thoughtful gifts! Posted by: Becky at December 19, 2007 10:43 AMLovely quilts. I am about to start a T-Shirt quilt for my son...I love the idea of flannel, will have to find the perfect one for it. Four hours sounds about right for your first quilt. When you say it is full size, I envision a lap quilt (a tad bigger than crib size?) and I am a slow hand binder, but it takes me at least a movie to do a crib quilt. You'll get faster... I can't wait to see the color wheel quilt, I want to make it for display in my house...not sure where, but it is definitely meant to be a piece of art. Posted by: Shannon Ford at December 19, 2007 11:00 AMHi Alison, I see no end to the surprises in your family. I too just received the color wheel kit from purl from my husband. Can hardly wait to start. I see you have an Aunt Evelyn in your family. My youngest sister is named Evelyn. It's not often I see both names in the same family. Well, back to waiting for my daughter to get out of Iowa and back home to California for Christmas! Flights out of Cedar Rapids were canceled due to fog and we have been on the phone with United Airlines trying to get her out of the cold! Wish us luck, Christmas won't begin until she is home. Warm Regards, Alison Posted by: Alison at December 19, 2007 11:58 AMLove your hubby's quilt. I am working on a similar one for myself made from race tee-shirts from triathlons. (How many race tee-shirts can a person actually wear?) I can't wait for it to be finished so that I can start on my strip quilt from Bend the Rules! Posted by: LeAnne at December 19, 2007 12:47 PMThe tee shirt quilt is such a cool idea - I've been saving my daughters' all these years to do "something" with. So many gymnastics and this-and-that tees. Using flannel sounds like a very good idea. Sadly, however, I really don't sew! Posted by: Mary K. in Rockport at December 19, 2007 12:59 PMYou are very talented! Love the Asian-themed quilt and the t-shirt quilt is just too cool. Those fabrics for the color wheel quilt are SO beautiful, I can see how you must be so tempted to just dig in! Thanks for sharing your fun projects. I don't have a great relationship with my sewing machine (I'm a Knitter), but you make me want to try again. Posted by: Catherine at December 19, 2007 1:15 PMThese are beautiful! Great job! Posted by: julie at December 19, 2007 1:40 PMI love the juxtaposition of those two personalities in quilt form. It's great to have such project diversity even if you're working in the same medium. I think that is what's holding me back from quilting, my misunderstanding that quilting is never varied. Posted by: Cassandra at December 19, 2007 1:40 PMI like Meatloaf! Alison, what a beautiful gift for your husband. I'm sure he will LOVE it! Posted by: Dorothy at December 19, 2007 2:50 PMI love your great aunt's quilt. And your husband's is cool - there are services that advertise in the Sunday Magazine of the Chicago Tribune (or used to - I don't know if they stopped or I just am so used to them that I don't see them anymore - one of those little black & white filler ads) that will make quilts from T shirts but it's so much more meaningful that you did it yourself. thanks for the link to the printable ink jet fabric. My oldest grand has been heartbroken over not getting new Thomas the Tank Engine engines (he checks everything that is purchased now to see if it was made in China) for his BD (11/1) & Christmas (we had early Christmas Saturday because they are going out of town next week to spend it with their paternal grandparents & extended family). I found some blue flannel printed with small Thomas engines with the idea of getting additional fabric to make a quilt for him. I can get that fabric & intersperse some prints from our visit to A Day Out with Thomas at the Illinois Railroad Museum in August of 2006. Then I'll have to figure out a dinosaur quilt for his brother. Posted by: Donna at December 19, 2007 3:33 PMgreat work... I am so impressed that you are tackling the colour wheel I cant wait to see your progress... So I would apparently be the OTHER person in the world besides your husband who'd willingly go to a Meatloaf concert! What a great gift for hubby! (and a good reminder to get off my knitting duff and finish my hubby's quilt!) Posted by: kelly at December 19, 2007 7:45 PMI love that colorwork quilt! I've been collecting little squares to make it but its going to be a long while before I get enough of a collection. I can't wait to see yours! Posted by: megan at December 19, 2007 9:04 PMOh how gorgeous that Asian quilt for your great aunt is! And girl! What a totally rockin' idea for your husbands old T's!!! I absolutely LOVE it! Even better is that it won't be stored away. I love that it is going to be used and eventually displayed as a hanging. Merry Christmas! Posted by: Anita at December 19, 2007 9:24 PMSo glad to see a t-shirt quilt. I've been saving my son's t-shirts for the past 6 years since he was a baby for just this purpose. Some of them are way too cute to give away. Posted by: Holli at December 19, 2007 11:50 PMThe Asian Quilt is awesome! Posted by: Oiyi at December 20, 2007 1:57 AMWOW!!!! Oh the gift from your mom is THE BEST :) I can't wait to see it 'blooming'! The quilt for your husband is also awesome, you should start planning one for the boys! My son had a shirt at 4 that he wore so often it started falling apart, a batman shirt. So many others that I saved, and when he was 6 I sewed the fronts together and made them the size of those pre made 10 dollar fleece blankets you find at Wal**** and just backed it with that. He loved it as a 'sick blanket' when he wasn't well... Now I'm planning one for him for his bed, much like the one you made. Happy Holidays! Posted by: Jennifer at December 20, 2007 7:16 AMOh the gift from your mom is THE BEST :) I can't wait to see it 'blooming'! The quilt for your husband is also awesome, you should start planning one for the boys! My son had a shirt at 4 that he wore so often it started falling apart, a batman shirt. So many others that I saved, and when he was 6 I sewed the fronts together and made them the size of those pre made 10 dollar fleece blankets you find at Wal**** and just backed it with that. He loved it as a 'sick blanket' when he wasn't well... Now I'm planning one for him for his bed, much like the one you made. Happy Holidays! Posted by: Jennifer at December 20, 2007 7:16 AMI love the t-shirt quilt. It will bring some fond memories, I bet. Posted by: britt at December 20, 2007 7:25 AMAgh! I saw those beautiful fat quarters and just new you were going to make the Color Wheel quilt! I'm so jealous. I hope Santa read my list and brings me the kit, too. Happy quilting! Posted by: kristin at December 20, 2007 8:14 AMThank you for sharing so much quilting stuff. I love it! Lucky you to get the color wheel materials. It's great to get a present that you really want. Your quilts are great. I can hardly wait too get back to "normal" project mode after the Holidays. Posted by: Marcia at December 20, 2007 9:11 AMWow. You don't know how hard I am wishing I was your Great-Aunt Evelyn right now. That quilt is gorgeous! And the t-shirt quilt looks really snuggly. Posted by: Sarah R at December 20, 2007 10:41 AMThat's awesome! I just found a bag of my old T-shirts last night and I'm now committed to finally making my T-shirt quilt. Posted by: FemiKnit Mafia at December 20, 2007 11:33 AMBoth look great! And the kit looks like it will be beautiful. Posted by: Kat with a K at December 20, 2007 12:04 PMinteresting...very interesting...My husband has a ton of T-shirts with high school and college clubs/logos that he doesn't wear but can't be prevailed upon to part with. I wonder if that T-shirt quilt is a solution. (Can't surprise him though--not sure if he'd even let me cut them up!) So funny to me as I don't have any T-shirts from those days! Posted by: Sara at December 20, 2007 1:23 PMThese quilts rock!! Can't wait to see what you do with the colorwheel. I'm just learning quilt, and loving it!!! Posted by: Bette at December 21, 2007 5:04 AMAlison, I just love your quilts! Crafts blog today posted a link to a gumdrop quilt with pearl snaps that has your name written all over (not literally, you know). It's at the Wee Wonderfuls site: I predict you'll love it. http://weewonderfuls.typepad.com/wee_wonderfuls/2007/12/gumdrop-snap-qu.html Posted by: Carrie at December 21, 2007 6:10 PMThat quilt is WAY cool. And such a thoughtful gift. Those are the types of gifts I like to receive. Posted by: Nik at December 22, 2007 11:40 PMI've always intended to make a t-shirt quilt. Guess I'd have to find the box I put in my parents' attic with all of them first, lol! I'm totally amused at the variety in this one, though! Rockin'! Posted by: Eklectika at December 26, 2007 1:07 AMYour quilt turned out beautifully! Nice job! I think I'm going to have to pick up that book and learn to quilt! Posted by: Jenni at December 28, 2007 5:17 PM |
. She went straight to the source (
has you piece the binding together on this lap throw from leftovers of the main fabrics. It's such a sweet, homey sort of touch. And I still can't get enough of that backing fabric!
