27 May 2008

My First Quilt Show

CarGuy and I spent last evening going through some of Auntie's papers. Among them was the program/quilt guide from the 1991 Fabric of Legacies quilt show. This show is a benefit for Crossroads: safehouse for battered women and their children and is still going strong and raising thousands of dollars for Crossroads. It is in it's 27th year and is now a juried art quilt show. It has really changed from it's humble beginnings.

I entered the third quilt I ever made into this show in 1991. Paula, the quilter's "step-grandmother started this quilt sometime in the 1940s. It took five tries before Paula could get the setting blocks drafted correctly. The Double Wedding Ring blocks also survived the Big Thompson flood in July 1976."

We were not allowed to expand or write a dissertation for an artist's statement. Just a short little paragraph. So here is the back story on this quilt.

The 'melon' pieces of the quilt were found in my mother's stash during clean up of my parent's house after a flood. They sat in my stash for several years until I decided I could make this quilt. I had 2 complete quilts under my belt, so I could do this. Right? The center of the rings or even a template of them was not to be found. I decided that drafting one was the answer: after all I was a graphic designer and could do this type of thing. It took me five tries to get the right dimensions, I kept forgetting about seam allowance and it was such an odd shape, but I did it! Using a muslin that was similar to the center portion of the melon shapes, I hand stitched it together.

I had never heard about measuring down the center of the quilt to figure out the dimensions of the borders and it shows. Do you see that lovely ripple along the bottom border? The sides of the flimsy stretched as that border was being attached. Blithely, I proceeded to paint the flowers and leaves onto the top. Then the quilting was added: all hand quilted using the same flower design as the painted flowers through a polyester batt that is now bearding. Meh.

For all it's flaws, I love this quilt. Would I take out the stitching and remove the borders to make it right? Not on your life! After all, when it is on a bed, the ruffly border does not show, especially when that one border is against the wall.

15 comments:

  1. What a treasure! No wonder you still love it, it's such a piece of both family and personal history. And it's beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow - that's a quilt with a story. There's not one single reason to remove a stitch!

    ReplyDelete
  3. A wonderful family story. You are such a lucky girl to have finished this quilt. Nice that it's story is intact...so many quilts are missing that signature label that helps us remember who made it, when, where and why. Does this quilt have a signature label?

    ReplyDelete
  4. It is a beautiful quilt - wow drafting setting blocks after just two quilts! I guess I would attempt them now, but I'm not sure I would trust my drafting capability to actually use them!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great quilt and greater story behind it. I think we all learn with each quilt and if I started taking out my mistakes, gee, I would not have any quilts made. Your quilt is lovely and all the more so because of the story behind it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a beautiful treasure! No way, don't change a thing! Perfection is not always the best.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Such a wonderful story! I am glad you rescued the beginnings. You know, I am not sure what the big deal is about borders...no one except the quilt judges said anything bad about my waving borders! hehehe!

    ReplyDelete
  8. That is a great quilt along with a wonderful story. Thanks for sharing it with us.

    ReplyDelete
  9. It's lovely. Well done for finishing it and it's great when we learn through doing - cause we all do.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Paula, just popping in to say hello *VBS* Great quilt! I'm so proud of your effort!! And alot more than 3 cheers for getting back into biking...it does a body good *VBS* Hugs, Finn

    ReplyDelete
  11. That is great. I really enjoyed the quilt story. I found you through Just Us quilters. I look forward to more visits.

    ReplyDelete
  12. A lovely quilt, with a special history! No wonder you treasure it!

    ReplyDelete
  13. This is gorgeous ! No wonder you love it so much.

    ReplyDelete
  14. The quilt is lovely, the soft colors and pattern. No one notices the small problems but ourselves.
    Smiles
    Vicki

    ReplyDelete
  15. A wonderful family story.
    Beautiful quilt.
    Kind regards,

    Sonnja & Beertje Zonn
    From the Netherlands

    ReplyDelete