Leave a quilt out, and this WILL happen!
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Watermelon Quilt
Our girls are beginning to quilt as well. Margaret laid this one out and Melody and Melinda put it together. We love the colors; we call it the "Watermelon Quilt".
First Pinwheel Quilt
This was her first Queen size quilt as well as her first "Pinwheel" quilt. She made it as a gift for her parents.
Rail Fence
This was Margaret's first "Rail Fence" top; it's from a quilt she made for a young lady in our church back home.
"Funky Chunky Washcloth Quilt"
This might just be my favorite quilt. Could be because it was my idea. (cough, cough) We were walking through Wal-Mart when I spied these economy packs of washcloths in fall colors. I said, "Hey, Babe! Why don't you make me a quilt out of these! I'll call it my Funky Chunky Washcloth Quilt." She wasn't sure how it'd work, but was game to give it a shot. This quilt has a full blanket inside, and is backed with material from a twin-sized sheet. Total cost? Less than $20. It's the perfect size and weight for curling up with a good book on a wintry afternoon. I also keep it by the bed to pull over my side if I get chilled at night. Margaret has made a couple more of these; they're super popular.
Whitetail Deer Themed Quilts
Quilt #2 - The Only Quilt She Ever Made & Hated
We were back in NC by this time. This must have been around Christmas 2008. Margaret pieced this together from the remnants of the pieces she had purchased for her first quilt. It's a simple quilt and she never liked it. We eventually gave it to a friend who loves it.
Her First Quilt - August 2007
Looking good on our freshly restored family heirloom furniture!
First Things
Way back in August of 2007, Margaret ordered several packages of precut quilting squares from HomeSew. Little did we know then what that little package of square pieces of fabric would ignite. Seven years and many quilts later, Margaret's passion grows as her talent continues to be exposed and her skills are sharpened. What's interesting is that, for Margaret, quilting is as much about colors and composition as it is about the actual sewing. In fact, it's probably safe to say that the planning, scouting, and selection of just the right fabrics is what really keeps her interested in quilting. Like most true artists, she has bad days where the colors don't come together and she's just sure she'll never quilt again. I've learned to not panic about the room full of fabric; she'll be back at it in a few days or weeks.
In that same 2007 period when Margaret was discovering her love for quilting, we had just finished redecorating our 1922 Arts & Crafts style home. By redecorating, I primarily mean painting. By painting, I primarily mean this guy. However, it was in painting this classic old home that she first took real risk with colors. Frankly, I was worried. The colors she selected looked all wrong to me, even as I started slapping them on the walls. But she was soon vindicated and we both began to realize that she has a remarkable talent for color. What had been a drab old house soon "popped" with a pallete worthy of a magazine article. She combined painting with drapes and rugs procured from various clearance sales and bargain bins. The effect was dazzling and I was truly impressed. When we sold the house shortly thereafter, it was on the market less than a month, sold to the first person to view the home. We did very well in a down market. I am convinced that this is largely due to Margaret's decorating. The house had become a home.
Her eye for color continues to astound me. You hear of musicians having "perfect pitch" - the ability to hear a note and instantly be able to place it on the scale. If there's a "perfect pitch" for color, my gal's got it. She has the uncanny ability to glance at a piece of fabric or a color swatch at a paint store and instantly place it on her mental color scale. She has more than once purchased something at the store and brought it home, knowing it was a perfect match for a piece she already has; in many cases, she hasn't looked at the original article in months. She blows my mind.
I fought this whole quilting thing for a long time, because I was afraid it'd be another "kick" that would fizzle soon. She has proven me wrong and I have learned to enter joyfully into the process with her. Now, I have absolutely no eye for color. Just ask any female who lives in my house. But I do enjoy accompanying her to the store, giving her my lame feedback (which seems to be important to her, even if it's functionally worthless), and watching her joy as a thing of beauty takes shape under her able touch. When we moved into our present home last summer, we didn't even bother setting up a dining room. We already knew that this sun-drenched room just off the kitchen was the perfect place for the studio of a true artist.
This little blog is primarily intended as a way for Margaret to catalog her creations for her own enjoyment and to share with family and friends. We're starting a bit behind the ball, as she has given away most of what she's already made. If you know Margaret, that'll make sense to you too.
In that same 2007 period when Margaret was discovering her love for quilting, we had just finished redecorating our 1922 Arts & Crafts style home. By redecorating, I primarily mean painting. By painting, I primarily mean this guy. However, it was in painting this classic old home that she first took real risk with colors. Frankly, I was worried. The colors she selected looked all wrong to me, even as I started slapping them on the walls. But she was soon vindicated and we both began to realize that she has a remarkable talent for color. What had been a drab old house soon "popped" with a pallete worthy of a magazine article. She combined painting with drapes and rugs procured from various clearance sales and bargain bins. The effect was dazzling and I was truly impressed. When we sold the house shortly thereafter, it was on the market less than a month, sold to the first person to view the home. We did very well in a down market. I am convinced that this is largely due to Margaret's decorating. The house had become a home.
Her eye for color continues to astound me. You hear of musicians having "perfect pitch" - the ability to hear a note and instantly be able to place it on the scale. If there's a "perfect pitch" for color, my gal's got it. She has the uncanny ability to glance at a piece of fabric or a color swatch at a paint store and instantly place it on her mental color scale. She has more than once purchased something at the store and brought it home, knowing it was a perfect match for a piece she already has; in many cases, she hasn't looked at the original article in months. She blows my mind.
I fought this whole quilting thing for a long time, because I was afraid it'd be another "kick" that would fizzle soon. She has proven me wrong and I have learned to enter joyfully into the process with her. Now, I have absolutely no eye for color. Just ask any female who lives in my house. But I do enjoy accompanying her to the store, giving her my lame feedback (which seems to be important to her, even if it's functionally worthless), and watching her joy as a thing of beauty takes shape under her able touch. When we moved into our present home last summer, we didn't even bother setting up a dining room. We already knew that this sun-drenched room just off the kitchen was the perfect place for the studio of a true artist.
This little blog is primarily intended as a way for Margaret to catalog her creations for her own enjoyment and to share with family and friends. We're starting a bit behind the ball, as she has given away most of what she's already made. If you know Margaret, that'll make sense to you too.
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