Dunno what it is with me and undiscovered treasures in the attic. It is the typical Hollywood movie-American style house I am dreaming of lol.
Anyways, my mom and me are making a quilt. It is my going-away present lol. I cut and ironed the pieces for the top and she sewed them on machine. It took us 3 days to finish the top which is about 52 inches by 65.. not too big, just decently big enough.
Next we have to sew the back and a cotton sheet which will act as the batting together. It is a crazy block pattern, with 4 large monkey wrench blocks in each quarter of the quilt. We are just going to machine quilt the random blocks and I am going to hand quilt the 4 monkey wrenches.
Haha in my head I keep singing 'tonight we're going to quilt like it's 1899' to the tune of the prince song. AM I CRAZY OR WHAT!!! If I can, maybe I will post a picture of the quilt when it's done, as well as the other one I made.
I was looking online about antique and country fairs because I would like to buy another one, as if I need it... Just one of those kind that most people would sell for $20 or $50 but is still such a bargain at that price.
Then I ran into a website that criticized the Asian mass-produced quilts and that no self respecting person would buy one. True, some of these are horrible, but not all of them are.. plus you can wash the department store quilts in the machine with no worries. I even hand quilted the log cabin one I had. The personal touch REALLY makes a difference in the quilt and makes it more authentic and unique. Afterall, quilting is all about making sumthing prettier.
But some quilting guilds today will refuse to quilt a top that is machine sewn. I guess that makes the quilt I am making to be inconsequential to some people. I think that's a shame and a bit wrong. In this day and age who is going to want to spend all that extra time doing it by hand when you can do it with a machine. I sewed my first two tops all by hand and man did it take a long, long time just to get that part done. The actual quilting looks better by hand, but to make it ALL by hand?? Quilters made do with what they had before and that is no different today. One thing they may have had more of back then was time and patience. With all the pressures today (mortgage, economy, needing a two-income household), starting a quilt from scratch ALL by hand seems like an impossible task.
Posted by: Edith Collins Date posted: Tue Jul 15 12:00:57 2008
Message: I used to make quilts for Quentin, but he was too busy chasing skirts to care.
Zach, I'd love to see a picture of your quilt when it's finished. There are all kinds of quilt making methods but I like the handmade ones too. My grandmother was quite artistic and used to paint the designs on some of her quilts and bedspreads. She also made a number of crazy quilts, from scraps of the grandchildren's outgrown clothing. Those were always fun to look at. Alas, they were also so well loved not a one survives today.
If I knew how to use the sewing machine better, I would make one quilt a day!
I would just sew together random blocks.. probably larger in size, throw in a few small ones and couple little patterns here and there, then sew the back on, machine quilt it in straight lines back and forth and VOILA.
This is how many quilts were made.. many were quite shabby from the start, or not even thought of much as quilts, but they were functional.
If for example, I had a house and sold apples from my orchard at the road in the front, I bet I could make a killing selling these simple quilts I made in just a few hours!!! They would probably go for $30??
Zach, you said this was a *going away* present so I'm curious. Is it her going away present to you, or yours to her? AND, hey, where ya goin'?
I prefer the handmade quilts myself. I have made some and it is very rewarding. If the object is to turn out more quilts then I suppose one would have to use a machine. However, I like to make mine the *old-fashioned* way. I do piece some by machine, though. Naturally, I have more quilt TOPS than I may ever get quilted but still............
Posted by: GailJ Date posted: Tue Jul 15 8:57:25 2008
Message: Zach, I like old quilts I suppose as much as the next guy or gal, and I know a lot of work and love usually go into the making of a quilt, especially the old ones. I have one that is machine made but made by an old friend of mine and I love it as much as if she sewed every stitch by hand. The sentimentallity of the quilt is in the eye of the owner I'd say. I have seen many store bought quilts that are beautiful and serve the purpose of the person buying it. And no matter how beautiful or old or hand sewn or whatever, I, personally wouldn't pay top dollar just to say it's an old handmade quilt. If it isn't pretty to look at or doesn't serve a purpose, I don't have any use for it. Sounds like you have a very creative hobby and one that you share with your mom. That's great! I say "Keep on Quiltin'!!" Please do post a picture of your finished project. I love to see what others can do with their hands. I just recently taught myself to crochet. I just finished a baby blanket and matching booties for my nephew's baby that is due in September. I'm SO proud of it. Although if a seasoned crocheter looked at it they'd probably pick it apart. I hope my nephew and his wife will appreciate it for the love that went into it!
