Quilt Documentation – a couple of Oldies

I’ve just documented my last finish, the Maple Leaf quilt.  Told the story behind it, added photos, plus fabric samples.  Although I’m up to date with my current finishes, I can’t feel complacent as there are plenty of older quilts still to document.  With a bag full of old photos, notes, and fabric swatches still to be dealt with, I wonder if I will ever finish this task.   And wonder why I was not more diligent in the past!  But never mind, I’ll get there in the end.  I’ve just written about two more quilts which were finished quite some time ago.  Both these quilts take a turn on our bed - perhaps you would like to see them?

“Garden Tapestry”  was completed in 2002.  I saw the shop sample at Sally Olds shop Stitches Plus in Lower Hutt, (since closed) and loved it so much I had to sign up for the class. I chose a deep fuchsia pink/red for the stars, and a pretty rose floral for the alternate blocks. Then came the serious business of choosing a variety of prints for the many 2 inch squares that were needed. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have trouble making up my mind. I dithered long and hard trying to choose enough fabrics to give plenty of variety. With 30 star blocks combining four patches, and a pieced border there was a lot of stitching required.  As is often the case, I didn’t finish the quilt during the classes. My local quilt club had organized a weekend retreat so I took my blocks along laid them out on the floor, and started piecing the diagonal rows together. With that job done, I still had to construct the fancy pieced borders.

Yes, that’s me with dark hair, at the quilt retreat ages ago

With the borders finally completed, I took the quilt to be commercially quilted by Bary Scott.

  Garden Tapestry

The second older quilt I’ve just documented is “Stars in my Garden”.   This sampler quilt was the result of a challenge issued by my previous quilt club, Pinestream Quilters. Members were supplied a fat quarter of a green and gold fabric, and each month the committee members provided a pattern. The supplied fabric had to be included in each block. As I wanted to make the quilt larger, I increased the quilt to sixteen blocks. Luckily another member gave me her piece of green and gold challenge fabric so I had enough to complete the quilt.  It’s easy to see that I’m rather partial to stars, and made green stars in the sashings, very easy to make and quite effective, I feel. 

Stars in my Garden

I got all creative an added a border of small stars and appliquéd flowers with leaves. This quilt was also expertly quilted by Bary Scott on his commercial machine, and was completed in 2003.

My original border design

And just for a laugh, here is Muffy cuddled up to me on a chilly winter morning, we are both nice and cosy under the quilt!  And this same quilt is on the blog header, with Muffy curled up in the middle of it.

Nice and cosy in the winter

So I’ll keep plodding along with my quilt documentation, perhaps I should aim to spend a couple of hours on this job each week?   Is everyone else up to date, or am I the only one lagging behind?  It’s nice to look back through my folders and see what I’ve made over the years, especially the ones I’ve given away.