Little Sisters Pillow 2009

Donna B — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 03:51:41 GMT

This pillow was one of my first quilting attempts and a present for one of my three sisters (who are 10-15 years younger than myself). I took the picture myself about 1960 of them having a tea party in our back yard. The pillow is pretty basic, using photo-transfer fabric sheets, some very basic blocks around the photo and some decorative stitches on my sewing machine.

LQS Ugly Fabric Quilt Dec 2010

Donna B — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 03:44:30 GMT

For a 2010 Christmas Party our LQS did a fat quarter exchange of the ugliest fabrics we could find in our stash. At the party, we each got to pick a fat quarter to use in making a 10 1/2 inch block that was suppose to be brought to the LQS on a specific date the next month(January 2011). Then everyone who participated put their name in a hat to draw who would get all the blocks and have the "honor" of putting them all into a quilt. Well, guess who won the "honor"!!!! Yours Truly!!!! It was really a challenge as the varieties of color, pattern, hue, etc. was all over the place. Plus, understandably, the quality of sewing of the blocks was greatly varied. The dilemna was what to do with nine very dissimilar blocks to bring them into one harmonious quilt. And did I mention, I had sole discretion it what I would do with these blocks? Yessireeee!

What I finally did was select 3 blocks (that I liked the best) that all contained lavendar farbrics in them. I chose to use them as the center of the quilt. But what to do with all the other truly ugly other blocks (including my own)? After a friend who is very good with color offhandedly commented that if the colors were in smaller sizes, it would be easier to blend them. So, a light-bulb went off and I proceeded to chop up the other six blocks in 1 1/2 inch strips and sew them randomly back together again. With the help of neutral fabric strips and the smaller strips from the ugly blocks I proceeded to build the quilt around the 3 center-piece blocks.

It is NOT my favorite quilt, but considering what it started with, it didn't turn out too bad. BTW, the quilt was donated to our local assisted-living facility and the 12 residents absolutely love it! It is kept on the back of their sofa for anyone who wants to curl up in it. I couldn't be happier that they are enjoying what gave me several months of...shall I say...anxiety. (I still cringe at the thought of my cutting up six peoples lovingly made blocks!)

drbonn's Gallery : Cutting on the Go

Little Sisters Pillow 2009

LQS Ugly Fabric Quilt Dec 2010