I grew up in a home with one Sister and two Brothers. My Mother was a seamstress and made most of our clothes instead of buying them. Many times she would drag us out to a local cloth store and spend hours looking through pattern books for something new to make us to wear. She probably still has those patterns too. She always wanted to teach me to sew too but I didn't have the patience unless it was something crafty. I would make a pillow or an article for my Barbies but that was about the extent of it.
Mom always kept a large barrel full of scraps from the clothes she made. Once the barrel was full, she would give them away to a quilt maker. Later on after I became a Mother and a wife, I wanted to make a quilt. I had no idea where to start except with that barrell of scraps. I was determined to make a quilt. So I did.
I gathered up different scraps and cut them into 4x4 squares, found me a needle and thread and started sewing each square together one by one then row by row. I sewed enough together until it would fit a full size bed. This took several weeks. I would work on it while my daughter napped in her crib so it was just a couple hours a day.
I purchased some batting and a flat full size sheet for the backing and put it together. I had just enough inches from the back to fold around to make a boarder.
I still had no idea how to quilt but I went with my imagination.
I stitched corner to corner of each square and then around to frame each square. It took me about six month to finish this quilt and did it all by hand and with only one needle! Yes really. ONE regular sewing needle. I did not know they actually have quilting needles.
It may not be the prettiest quilt you've ever seen but I'm proud of it. I can just about remember each outfit that was made with each color.
My Mom still sews every day at her own alteration business. The basic stitch or two I learn from her growing up was enough to make a memory.
What a wonderful memory maker you have there. You did a wonderful job on that quilt and unbelievable that you didn't break that needle along the way. lol I think self-taught is really the best sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI have a couple of old quilts that my grandmother made from scraps from clothing she sewed, dresses and aprons and pinafores, etc. A lot of those old scraps came from the chicken mash that was sold in calico fabric bags--I think they were 100# bags. My mother would spend quite a while picking out the bags she wanted..and then the feed would be dumped into a bin and the bags washed for use as material.
Have a wonderful Sunday- xo Diana
Very nice quilt
ReplyDeleteVery nicely done Lisa, I like the looks of that quilt and what adds quality and value to it is the time spent in putting it all together by hand like you did, in a sense each stitch holds a memory that went through your mind as you sewed it making this quilt priceless.
ReplyDeleteI think your quilt is beautiful. You did a fantastic job.
ReplyDeleteI love that quilt. I looked closely at the stitching. Since I have tried to sew a few times, I know those stitches aren't easy. YOU HAVE NO PATIENCE? Right, we all KNOW that took patience. SWEET and does stir a memory or two....
ReplyDeletelovely quilt. good job.
ReplyDeleteYou did a wonderful job on the quilt! Very pretty! My Grandmother had a quilt and I remember my Mama telling me stories about it when I was younger. I would like to make a quilt of my own one day.
ReplyDeleteI love that . . . being able to wrap up in a quilt filled with loving memories:)
ReplyDeletePhenomenal job!!! That's how I learned to quilt too!! Right now I am working on a sashiko quilt, Japanese style quilting. It will probably take me the same amount of time as you took, all done by hand, I think, makes it so much nicer!! My needle of choice is a tapestry needle, I only have one so I'm being very careful with it!! Beautiful job, you should definitely do another!!!
ReplyDeleteYour quilt is beautiful and what loving memories. I'm inspired!
ReplyDeleteI love that story. When I was a young girl my Mom had me sew squares together, I had a dream of doing a patchwork quilt (Little House era), well that never happened with those squares, however when I got married she took all those squares and made me a throw quilt with them then presented it to me at my shower. I'll always cherish that one more than the other's that I've made myself. It had much more meaning to me.
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