Where We’re Published: Rustic Charm

I know I’m super late to be telling you all about this….but…  We had a quilt published in the August issue of American Patchwork and Quilting.  The magazine came out about the time that Kramer (my husband) passed away and at the time, we had other things taking up space in our minds.  This is the issue that the quilt is in.…and this is the quilt.

Here is the full layout of the quilt.

…and here is the motif that Carla of Longarm Quilting Inspirations chose.  Yep..we had Carla quilt it for us.

Here’s a drawn copy of the quilting.

It’s always fun to see our names.

Here’s the pictures of the quilt once I got it home….It’s hanging off of my front porch.  A while back we had strung clothesline cord between two fo the porch posts.  I left it there and continue to hang my quilts from here.  I love it.

This quilt was made entirely from my scrap bucket.  At the time I made this I had just finished up Bonnie Hunter’s Wonky Star quilt.  I loved making the stars and wanted to make “something more”.  I tried to think of way I could still make the stars..but change them up a bit.  That’s when the idea to make split blocks came to me.  I wanted to use scraps so I started playing with the block ideas.
Once I came up with the block, it was time to figure out a layout.  This is what I came up with…  I was the designer and I made the entire quilt.  Kelli helped out with a rough copy of the directions.  
I’d so love to see this quilt done up in brights.  I think that would be fun too.

I did the binding it a small red print.

I didn’t want anything dark to pull the dark color from the quilt.  Being this had a flick of cream in it, I thought it would be good….plus I moved that fabric out of my stash.

The AMAZING quilting was done by Carla.  I took it to her house, I dropped it off and said, “Work your magic!”…and Carla, as always, did.  I think Carla both loves and dreads when I bring a quilt that needs to be quilted for a magazine.  There’s lots of pressure as everyone will see her work…but LOTS of challenge and I think she enjoys that.

She lives up to the challenge EVERY SINGLE TIME.  She does amazing work.  She’s fast too.

I just love looking at all the scraps that made up the quilt and seeing how Carla made them shine.  Some people joke saying the machine quilting is “frosting” a quilt, it truly is.  Carla is a master froster!!

Of all the pictures…these next two are my favorite.  The quilt is getting loved on by the best quilt lovers around….my childcare kiddos.

So many people would take a quilt that was published in a magazine and hold it up as a museum piece.  Not me.  I can always make another.  Pictures like this and moments like this mean so much more to me than the honor of having it published.

For me…a quilt’s purpose is to be loved whether is was published in a magazine or is a simple utility quilt.

If you missed at issue and want to get one, there are back issues of American Patchwork and Quilting  here is the link.  If you’re wanting Carla to frost a few of your quilts, you can find her HERE.  If you need to rent a kid…sorry, these guys are mine!!  If you need a little smile in your day throw a quilt out on the lawn, lay down and look at the sky.  These childcare kiddos have me doing that, and even as a 50 year old, it still holds a lot of appeal.