I’m doing a little series of posts that feature old blog posts. I have been going back and looking at them. It’s been fun. I started blogging in June of 2009…WOW. Over Ten years. I’m so glad I’ve kept the blog as a diary of sorts…today I’m telling you about the quilts and other quilt related things I discovered in May of 2010.
I was busy working on Carrie Nelson’s (Miss Rosie Quilt Company’s) X-rated Schnibble. At the time I was making all of these I often added borders on them to bring them up to baby quilt size. I did that with this one. You can read more about it HERE.
I was showing off this sampler quilt I had made. The designer is Open Gate Quilts. It’s from the Cottage Collection Book
I finished this quilt…. At the time I belonged to Country Threads’ Reproduction quilt club. They would send a pattern and a few fat quarters of fabric.
The picture of the quilt was in black and white so you had to decide what colors to put where. It was a fun club. This quilt has gone on and is published in one of Country Threads’ book but I’m sorry I can’t tell you which one.
I also finished this quilt…It’s another Schnibble called Short Story. I love this one so much that it is still in my collection. Do you recognize the dog?? It’s my first beagle Gracie.
The fabric is an old American Jane line, Recess. There were a few other fabrics thrown in to make it all work. You can read more about it HERE.
I also told a little story about this quilt…
Here’s the story:
I was cleaning in the spring of ’08 I found these tulip blocks. I had just purchased my Pfaff Grand Quilter and Next Generation quilting frame. I need some things to practice quilting on so I pulled the old tulip blocks out and quickly sewed them together not paying careful attention at all….I figured the quilt could just be donated somewhere as I was no longer “in love” with the tulip blocks.
Well it was my first try quilting and I ended up with this….
YUCK! I didn’t know how to set the tension or the speed. I didn’t realize that I was leaving big globs of thread when I stopped and started…it was definitely a learning experience. But now..those Tulip Blocks were worse than they ever were…I couldn’t donate that mess to anyone. The quilt got stuck in the back of the closet AGAIN.
Fast forward to May of 2010. I need something to hang outside on the quilt rack. The winter quilt just wasn’t right for the season so I dug in the closet and there was the poorly constructed tulip quilt…I figured, what the heck. I put it outside because I didn’t care about it anyway. It would be no big deal if it faded or was damaged.
In the short couple weeks, I had gotten more compliments on that tulip quilt than I ever imagined. No one noticed all of my mistakes. When people walk up the sidewalk, they saw those big red welcoming tulips. The design is VERY simple but that’s what makes it work for an outside quilt.
That quilt taught me several things….
Lesson One: Don’t be so critical about my quilting.
Lesson Two: Not all of my friends are quilters and they don’t notice every mistake….and my quilter friends would rather see a botched quilt and know I learned something than to not see a quilt at all….right???? (Please say yes!)
I think those points I learned back then are still true. Don’t you?
…and that’s what I was working on in May of 2010.
Your story about the tulip quilt is exactly right! So often we stress over some small defect and forget the overall look of the whole quilt. Most people don’t know or care about the small flaws. It was made by a human and not a machine so it has “personality “and imperfections! Your work is beautiful and appreciated!
Yes ; )
Yes.
Like they say…better finished than perfect. And if it looks OK from 20 ft. away from the back of a galloping horse it will do. Love seeing the quilts you made & blogged about before I found your blog.
Great story on the tulip quilt! Glad you kept it so you can see how far your quilting has come! I also believe done is better than perfect!
I think your tulip quilt is perfect!! It is a lesson learned every time you look at it; just smile and enjoy the compliments! Have an awesome day!! Love all the other quilts as well!
Leave quilts, not fabric! Do you have a pattern for the tulip quilt and how big is it?
No idea. I don’t have the quilt anymore. It faded in the outside and I have no idea what pattern it was. I made the blocks over 15 years ago!!
Yes. I had not heard of Schnibbles quilts. Off to look for that book. Thanks for the memories.
Hi Jo! Did you know the identical quilt that you talked about being in a Country Threads book is also in a Martingale book published in 2019 called The Big Book of Little Quilts? They have it listed as being made and designed by someone else completely. The reason I know about this is because I am making this exact quilt as we speak. I love that quilt and I love knowing it was designed by YOU!
Yes and it’s a lot Ely welcome at your entrance. If I were you I’d make it again in favorite colors and hang it for the world to see. We can all use something lovely to see.
That weird word was lovely