Last week’s post, which I intended to be snarky/funny, ended up more grumpy/grumpy. Since then, I have rallied, friends. I needed a win, and I got one! In the past week, I quilted and bound my Farmhouse Chic quilt ...
This project ate up a chunk of scraps. The bits that set the palette are the peach and green floral from Rifle Paper Co.’s Les Fleurs line (see it on the left in the picture below). At a guild meeting years ago, a friend generously offered scraps of that print. I took home a lot of it, almost all in thin strips. I got serious about putting those strips to use when I found this Cluck Cluck Sew block tutorial (read my initial post here). I supplemented the Rifle Paper print with Denyse Schmidt fabrics, a few solids, and assorted low-volumes. As with all of my scrap projects, I pulled as much as I could from my scrap bin before supplementing with yardage.
The resulting quilt top skewed a little more traditional than I usually go and was asking for a simple, nonlinear quilting design. I took the opportunity to try my hand at stippling, which isn’t an option for my more modern projects, again. I stippled my first quilt top back in February. That baby quilt needed a small-scale quilting design. With Farmhouse Chic, I went a bit larger. I focused on smooth curves, clean stops and starts, and an even-ish stitch length. I grade my quilting as a solid B, even though I pulled the quilt off the machine only when something especially ugly happened.
I came to modern quilting through the Denyse Schmidt door, and I tend to keep projects that rely heavily on her fabric collections for myself. I am hoping to accumulate four or five finished quilts, however, and then give a friend her pick of the lot, so this finish isn’t automatically mine. We’ll see whether I stick to that plan. : )
That begs the question: What percentage of the quilts you make do you keep for yourself? I did a quick count of my projects since I started quilting back in 2013. I have made at least 65 quilts and have kept about a quarter of them. I hold on to almost all of those that are my original designs, especially the ones that have been shown publicly, and those that showcase my favorite designers (Basic Grey, Kate Spain, Denyse Schmidt, etc.).
What’s your best estimate? How many of your projects find their forever home at your house?
Linking up to Needle and Thread Thursday and Oh Scrap! ...
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- Post your finish in the linky tool. (No links to your own giveaway or linky, please!)
- Point your readers back here with a text link or use the button above.
- Visit and comment on other participants’ finishes.
Some of the quilts I made are for a specific person or a charity. I keep a lot for myself and I find after several years, I'm ready to let it go when the right person comes along. Your finish is beautiful and I'd keep that one for myself too. Such a pretty happy quilt!
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle! What a pretty quilt even if it isn't in your normal modern vibe. It seems fitting in this time of a new 'normal', don't you think? Interesting question about how many quilts stay with me. Hmm. I would say about a quarter of them remain and are stored in the quilt closet awaiting their final home. I seems I combine making a quilt for a particular person with my desire to try a new technique or pattern. Happy Friday to you and thanks for the linkup. Take care. I didn't think last week's post sounded grumpy, either. ~smile~ Roseanne
ReplyDeleteI don't know what percentage I keep but I do keep a lot of them.!
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle, I just love that palette for this quilt. Soft and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOooh, great question about how many I keep. I have made over 300 quilts and I keep an inventory of what I keep... tallying it all up I keep around 15% of the quilts I make, but many on that list are in the "waiting to for the perfect home" category.
ReplyDeleteI love the binding you chose for this finish - it's an original Cotton+Steel, right?
I have been quilting for 20 years and have only kept 2 quilts. I like to make several ahead and choose the perfect person and time to gift a quilt. Love your finish!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful finish! I love your color choices
ReplyDeleteI wish I had a finish to share this week, but I don't. Just progress on a half dozen WIPs, and I guess that's a good thing. I've been making quilts for 40+ years (my first in 1976) and gave away most of them, like 95 percent. Then, when all family and friends were saturated with them, I donated them to church missions, like 50 percent. Nowadays I have fewer outlets for my quilts (family doesn't want any) so I have more than 100 in storage, and have made at least 500 quilts in my lifetime. My husband wants me to stop making quilts because we have no more storage space, and living in Florida now, we don't need them either. I am totally conflicted because I have the need to make and create, and know I'd go crazy if I didn't have anything to do with my hands. It's a tough place to be, especially keeping in mind that in the next dozen years or so I could be dead... and what will become of my fabrics and quilts?!
ReplyDeleteMost of my stuff is small, wallhangings or baby quilts. So all the wallhangings I pretty much keep, but not the baby ones. LOL! Of the larger sized quilts I only have 1 for me, the others have been for charity or gifts. So I need to get going on making me big quilts! I have 3 tops done and several in the making, it's the quilting that stumps me.
ReplyDeleteThis is so pretty!! I love the colors.
ReplyDeleteAs for my quilts, I don't know exactly but I do give lots of them away. Weddings, babies, birthdays - all sorts of reasons to make quilts!
Your farmhouse quilt looks great, Michelle! And you are totally excused for being grumpy. I think we are all seeing flashes of our inner Oscar the Grouch lately. I nearly bit my husband's head off last night when he asked me the most innocuous question. It was probably "can I have the toothpaste" or something sinister like that...
ReplyDeleteWell done. I'd say I gift the majority of my quilts. But I do have quite a stash of quilts in my house. ☺
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle, your quilt if really lovely. I love the fabrics. I tend to make smaller stuff, but I probably give half of that and maybe 2/3 of the larger quilts - but I'm working on a few quilts for myself :-)
ReplyDeleteI love this quilt. Sometimes very special fabric like this Rifle Paper line should be the main focus and your pattern is a great showcase. One of my quarantine goals is to create a quilt journal. I thought my blog would serve that purpose but I find it is still hard to flip through to find a specific quilt or its story. I've started that with a simple word doc and think I've finished about 70 quilts since starting in 2012 and, like you, most of them are living someplace else. Generally I like to make quilts with a purpose in mind even if it is to be donated. I'm trying to cover all the beds in my home and my kids' homes as well as seasonal quilts SO I still have a lot of quilts to make!!
ReplyDeleteI am glad to read your are continuing your FMQ journey and are enjoying it! And a beautiful quilt. Enjoy your finish! xo Melanie
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