My second quilt, which just surfaced in the boys' room after a lengthy and unexplained absence, is a combination of thrift store scraps and red tag clearance fabrics from Joann's. Half of the binding is cotton left over from a shirt I made in high school home economics. The muslin is the least expensive stuff I could find at Joann's using a coupon.
I've been snuggling under it on the couch for the past few evenings (Everyone else in the un-airconditioned house is roasting, but the fans give me goosebumps. I'm blaming the blood thinners.) I really, really love this quilt. I love the setting, the fabrics, the way it's softened and faded over many washings, even though it's only about five years old.
I'll be honest, one or two of the scrap fabrics (out of the fifty or more in the quilt) did get dingy after washing. Many of the fabrics are starting to get an aged, slightly faded look. I like that look.
But, over and over, I hear quilters warning against cheap fabric because it will fade. Am I the only one who doesn't want my quilts to always look just like they did the day I finished sewing down the binding? Obviously, I don't want them to fall apart, but I love it when they fade and soften just enough to make the quilt look loved.
This post is linked to Things I Love Thursday
Michelle, I love that quilt - is that a split 9 patch? I have a ton of scraps that would look fantastic in that pattern.
ReplyDeletePretty pattern! I know what you mean. When I hear use the best you can, well, that's nice but I love my grandma's quilts and they're made from all sorts of scraps.
ReplyDeleteAt a recent guild meeting we had a fabric company rep explain that quilters cotton is actually a low grade cotton compared to what's used for clothing - hhhmmm.
I was asked to restore a much loved quilt that my grandmother made in 1960. It originally was a double quilt. I took the quilt apart and saved the best squares. I posted about this a long time ago, but the quilt which is now a lap quilt is still used. And still much loved, now made by me and my grandmother. I love the feel of the soft quilts. Original quilts weren't made with "pure" cotton fabrics...check out Gees Bend...talk about recycling.
ReplyDeleteI love this design and the colors are beautiful! I don't mind a little fading either but I have a quilt that some of the squares are very thin! EEE!!! ♥
ReplyDeleteI really like a faded look too! and i also like all the white in that pattern, it sets off the colors so nicely.
ReplyDeleteGreat quilt and pattern. I always thought that quilts generally look their best right before they are ready to fall apart. They are at their softest then, too.
ReplyDeleteLovely quilt and pattern. Whether our quilts eventually fades or not, not all of us can afford to pay quilt shop prices for every quilt. Our local shop now has some fabric priced at $11.99 a yard!
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