So What Did I End Up Doing With This?

Well, I went VERY orange!  So if you are an orange lover, you might like what I did and if not, you'll probably be going ewwww!  😁  My goal was to use as much fabric from my own stash as I could.

I got some GREAT feedback from my "Quilting Committee".  I had to giggle at the few who said this was not their cup of tea and to "chop chop!"    

First of all, thank you to  Farm Quilter for introducing me to the technique of Broderie Perse.  I did not opt to use this method, but I learned something new!  I love learning new things.

Joni suggested a Ricky Tims "Convergence Quilt"

Quite a few of you said you would use a big print like this for a quilt backing.  LA Paylor hated the thought of cutting up this motif and liked the Deco feel to it.  Even though I don't normally do a lot with orange, and these colors aren't really what I use a lot, there was something about this print that just called to me not to cut it up into small bits.  

Preeti volunteered to give it a home but her comment came about three days after I had already developed a plan and had become emotionally invested!  I have something else I am going to send her though.  Although I haven't had time to make one yet, you have got to see her cute little International Sisters block.  It is adorable!

Louise of My Quilt Odyssey sent me a file folder full of ideas for big print fabrics and I found a design in there that I really liked and decided to use.   It's called Denovo and is VERY similar to the idea that Sarah Aldrich suggested in her comment.  

So here is my version!  I opted not to use black sashing because I thought it would make it look too Halloweenish.  And the reason there are tiny little black squares in the sashing is because I thought I was going to be just inches short of the orange.  Turns out, I had plenty.  I must have measured wrong!

Here's a closer view of some of the fabrics . . .

Here is a closeup of my favorite piece in this quilt.  

It is an old Kaffe Fasset fabric from around 2008.  I'm so happy to finally get to use this piece AND the big deco flowers piece as well.  With the purple touches here and there, this quilt is much more vibrant in person than my crummy pictures show.  

So this flimsy is not quite done, it is still waiting for a wide border.  I don't have enough of anything to make the border and I really would like it to be all one fabric and not pieced.  I've been surfing the web for some possibilities and came across this . . .

or possibly this?

Can you see either of these as a border? Maybe it will help to put them beside each other.

I'm kind of liking this floral

Maybe try black and white?

 I haven't seen enough options yet. 

I would love to hear my "committee's" opinions and suggestions!  

I have been playing around with the vintage scraps I found last week so the next post will be about what I've been doing with those!  Have a happy week!

Linking to:

WIP's on Wednesday

Midweek Makers

Wednesday Weight Loss

Needle & Thread Thursday

Feedsack Quilt Find!

Isn't this delightful???  Love those red polka dots!

The colors are so bright and the fabrics so pristine I almost believed these were reproduction fabrics. I got some good tips from fellow quilters on Instagram about how to tell they are authentic feedsack.

I'll show you some closeups of the fabrics.  They are so cute!!  Not sure why this particular patch has stitches on top.  It's the only one.

One of the comments was from Sandra Starley @textiletimetravels.  She said this: "1940s - not repros -One way to tell is on vintage original animals look a bit creepy and the reproductions always look cutesy".   She is right!  The faces of both the people and the animals are kinda weird and in some cases, the people faces are even blank.  (still kinda cute though) Take a look . . .  who would have thunk to put a boy on a seesaw with a pig???? 

Faceless soldier and maidens.  Check out the duck facing this way.  Hee!  Hee!

Another comment from lucysvintageroom:  "if it’s been stored away unfinished, that would explain the crisp colors! And the weave looks looser to me than current repro fabric would be; like real feedsack. It’s a gem!"

Here are some sweet little lovebirds . . .

This quilt was pieced using a foundation method.  All the scraps were sewn to a piece of muslin and then trimmed square and then the blocks sewn together.  If I were to add batting and a backing, it would be a pretty heavy quilt.  Bernie @ Needle & Foot suggested I just add flannel backing and no batting.  Great idea!  It will be a nice light and cozy quilt to use!   I could keep it just for display but I really think this quilt was made to be used, don't you?

In the same antique mall where I found this quilt, clear on the polar opposite side of the building, I found a treasure of vintage fabric scraps!  Yes, I am beginning to realize I have a problem.  I don't NEED any more fabric.  But I couldn't just leave them there!  These colors and prints are so bright and fun!  I am noticing that the scale of the older fabrics is quite small most of the time.

Love that farmer fabric!  I only have one tiny scrap of it. 

So now to decide what to make with these!  Some of the scraps are one of a kind and I almost hate to cut into them so it might be a very scrappy project with random shapes in order to preserve the majority of the fabric.

Oh that brings up a question I have been wondering about. These fabrics are quite a bit thinner than most cotton quilting fabric of today.  What is the rule of thumb about combining vintage fabric with modern fabric?  Is it ok to do?  Or will the heavier weights of the newer fabric cause a problem?  Maybe I should stick to smaller projects with these scraps and use only vintage with vintage and make some fun pillows.   Any advice for me?  How many of you out there have vintage fabric in your collection?   Now that's a lot of questions I asked right there.   Just pick your favorite! I'd love to hear from a bunch of you on thus topic!  If you are a modern quilter through and through, and can't relate to any of this, I quite understand.  😉

My next post will be the results of what I did with THIS fabric.  I will probably have a finished quilt top by the end of the day so stay tuned . . . !

Have a Blessed Memorial Day!

Linking to:

What I Made Monday

Monday Making
Design Wall Monday

Moving it Forward Monday

Main Crush Monday

Humble Quilts 6th Annual Doll Quilt Swap

I have already posted about this before, but we are now having our linkup at the end of the swap so my swap quilts, both received and sent, are getting their very own post. 

I received my treasured quilt from Robin Boggan. 

 Back side.  Love, love, love this gorgeous vintage look print.

 It was done in a Trip Around the World design and is proudly hanging on the wall in my sewing room.  The sign below it was painted for me by my daughter.  And the mini quilt below that was made by my friend across the pond, Kate Heads of Smiles From Kate.  You can read her post about that here. 

Robin also sent me the cutest pin cushion and it is now my most favorite pin cushion EVER!

The pin cushion I have been using hardly had any "cushion" to it to stick the pins into and this one is so satisfyingly plump and you can  really jab those pins in there.  Please don't tell me I'm the only one who gets satisfaction out of jabbing a pin cushion during those annoyingly irritating moments in life where you can't really poke anyone with pins but you can jab your pin cushions all you want!  So thank you Robin, your pin cushion is very therapeutic as well as functional!  😊

Plus, those teeny tiny squares are just the cutest.  I love it.  I'll have to ask her what she used to stuff it.  Whatever it is, it makes it nice and weighty.   I almost had it stolen from me by my granddaughter who was convinced it was a bean bag. 

I sent my quilt out to Merry in Washington State so we are practically neighbors.  Here is what I sent to Merry.

I got the loveliest hand written Thank You note from Merry today contained inside this gorgeous quilt themed notecard.  This is a picture from a book called Quilting Lessons by Ellen Curtis and Karen  Gibson.  I haven't read the book yet, but the authors sure do make lovely cards!

I will be linking to Lori's Humble Quilt Linky Exchange party where you will be able to view all the other wonderful quilts made in this year's swap.  Lot's of beauty for your viewing pleasure!  Can't wait for next year's exchange!

Also linking to:
What I Made Monday
Design Wall Monday
Monday Making
Main Crush Monday
Move it Forward Monday

Quilting by Committee

 Quilting by committee is when I ask for lots of opinions.  I do this a lot! 

I LOVE HEARING YOUR OPINIONS!  

It's kind of humorous the different reactions I get when I ask for opinions.  

Some people are actually surprised and amazed that I want to hear their opinion.  

Some people have a plethora of their own ideas so can't comprehend the need.

  That's not me.  I'm not very original.  

So my dear quilting committee, what would you do with this out of print fabric?  If you have an opinion you are willing to share then YOU are on the committee!

I don't make bags or clothing, only quilts.  Read on . . .

I was looking at my orange scraps for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) to see what I had and came across this old piece.    It is almost a full half yard of Henry Glass fabric from 2004.   I bought this at a yard sale three years ago. As you can see, the print is VERY large and I really don't want to slice it up into itty bitty pieces.  I'd like to use it for a quilt that is good for showing off big prints.  Which means I'm going to have to find some other fabrics to go with it of course.  So what is your "go to" pattern for big prints?  I suppose I could always use this for a backing and combine it with some other fabrics?  

In the meantime, I have made myself another house block for my collection.  Orange of course.  I needed another orange one so that's good!   I am going to take my friend Jessie's advice and add another row to make it a decent size for a bed.  I was scraping the bottom of the barrel to find any oranges that looked good together.  I wouldn't normally choose a solid for this house, but kinda ran out of orange choices.  This one has a combo of modern prints and even a 30's repro print (the middle of the star).  The purple door and frame were a scrappy gift from a fellow quilter.  I LOVE getting scraps for gifts.  Was that you, Kate?

Am I procrastinating working on my Coming Home block of the month?  

Why, yes.  Yes, I am.  But I'm not giving up on it.  I have three out of the four appliqued stars done on the next step so as soon as I get that last star done I'll show you my progress. And talk about my potential choices for the step after that.

Please, pretty please, share your ideas with what you would do with that big orange print?

UPDATE!

I got a comment from Karen about this not really being her style and she WOULD cut it up into bitty pieces.  Ha!  Ha!  I had to laugh because I realized it really isn't my style either.  I like the quirkiness of the design but I'm not really a big fan of brown and orange together.  Sooooo before I do anything drastic and cut it up, if there is anyone out there that really likes this fabric, I'd rather give it to you than chop it up.

Linking to:

Needle & Thread Thursday

Busy Hands Quilts

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

From Bolt to Beauty

So Scrappy

Nora Joy is here!

So THIS happened over the weekend!

Warning!  Baby picture heavy post with the little sewing I did get done at the end.

Even though her little face is still a bit swollen, I think she's gorgeous!

7 lbs, 10 oz,   19 1/2 inches

So alert on day one!!

What did I get done sewing?  Just this . . . Struggling with those sharp star points.   Pretty happy with the circle though!  Let's hope my applique skills start improving as I move on.