What’s in a Quilt?
I haven’t written about my passion in a while, but I am today. Quilts are simply made of multiple pieces of cut up fabric sewn back together in a different way. It can be like a puzzle, sort of. The fabric is usually chosen very carefully, trying to match the personality of the person it is being made for. Should the fabric be bright or more modest colors? What is the pattern of the quilt? Then, when the front is all complete, what fabric do you use for the back? What do you put in between the front and the back? These are all questions that have to be addressed while a quilt is being made. But what about a scrappy quilt?
For me, scrappy quilts are pieces of my heart. They are made from the scraps of the quilts and extra fabric on the backs of previous quilts. Each piece cut, and pieced back together, makes another memory. I can look at my scrappies, and say, that one is from Lana and Andrews quilt. (See the brown and tan quilt on my photo stream) Those really bright colors are from Daniels quilt, with the fuzzy back. I have never done that before, and probably never will again. But each one is a collection a pieces of my heart. Like the poetry Mavis so eloquently writes, these are very personal to me.
So, what do I do with the scrappies I make? I give to my friends. I have done this in the past, and the recipients loved them. They didn’t even know they were scrappies until I told them. I have a habit of bringing in the quilts I make to work. I make all my co workers look at them. I know, how silly, but they are kinda like my kids, everyone has to look at them also. Scrappies usually aren’t much bigger than a lap quilt. Not the ones I make. I just like making lap size quilts though. I have made two so far, and I still need to make a few more before Christmas. I love giving these away, and this year is no different. I just can’t wait to see how my friends will react when they get them, they have no idea. I have been busy lately, so they don’t even know I have been sewing.
The fronts are all pieces of different quilts, but the backs are all one solid piece. These I try to match not only to the front, but also to the person I am giving it to. This can be more difficult than it seems. It is also a very fun part of the quilt for me. I never buy the back fabric at the time I am making the front. I wait until the front is all complete, then I fold it all up and haul it around to the different fabric stores until I can find the right fabric to match it. This may take going to a couple different stores, but well, its part of my process and I love it.
They are all filled with warm and natural batting. In my opinion, this is the best. It is 100% cotton and it makes the quilt lay just right around you. In the end, you have a lap size quilt you can cuddle up with and stay warm. Just putting this over me and up around my face and I fall asleep. They are very comforting for some reason, and I love them.
OK, I needed to do this. I needed to get my quilting talk fix. I just love doing this. I have never taken a lesson; I just buy a book and do what it says. Or I make up my own pattern. My mom taught me how to quilt using a hand written rail fence pattern. Why do we save all of our scraps, because fabric can be very expensive, so we learn to use it wisely?
OK, that is the end of today’s banter. I have nothing more to say today. I do, but that will be on another day.
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