World Wonders Quilt
This little quilt became a winner for me! It was made a really stressful time of my life. Without going into all kinds of this and that of why it was a stressful time, trust me, it was!
I was struggling to find solace in my life. I don't have daughters and sons were only so interested in quilting. My husband married me without knowing the quilt addict that lived inside me would erupt and take over many parts of me.
This quilt is special because its one of the first quilts that I made using only cotton fabric. Most of the cotton fabric had been hand me downs from wealthier quilters than myself. I could buy new fabric and make lovely quilts as is evident in my batik paper pieced center piece below.
It was 1997 and I had had a major run in with the Quilt Police! I admit it, I was a newby and committed a big crime in my new quilt guild at the time. I had used thrifted cottons!
"You can't be a quilter using thrift store crap" one whispered!
"Doesn't she know that we'll not accept anything into our annual quilt show that is remade or recycled or whatever she calls it!" another elder members quipped when she didn't realize I had not left the building!!
Spoken words are so damning sometimes and stay with you, if you are the reciever of the nasty words sometimes it will shut you down completely. And I mus admit that the evening quilt guild gathering where this happened left me stunned and in tears.
But it had the opposite effect on me that what I think they intended! I didn't stop reusing, I increased it, I made almost everything for a few years in only reused that I thrifted from dumpsters, had it given to me and bought at thrift stores.
I was like a fiend to impress upon those women that thrifted is where quilting started, thrifted clothing often went into a quilt in the old days.
But back then my desire to help quilters reuse, was often ignored. I didn't know about blogs back then. I didn't even know what a blog was and why people wanted to blog anyway~!
I went on to prove those quilters wrong! This is a close of the quilt 'Silver Linings Crazy Quilt" which won 1st Prize for Most Innovative category at the 2004 IPM Quilt Show in Ontario, Canada. I won a hand made oak wood rotating quilt hoop and I use it often.
Just an update on my hand quilting progress of my king size stack and whack Dresden Plate quilt, I've down to the borders and then I'm done!
Take care, watch out for the Quilt Police!
All the best,
Carli
Great story and great looking quilts. The first quilt looks like a Drunkard's Path variation, I really like it and the colors!
ReplyDeleteThanks Peter, I'm planning on a new Drunkard's Path, but not until 2013. Way too much on my plate with the Smithers 2013 Centennial Quilt this year. Thanks for visiting!
DeleteYes, it is a Drunkard's Path and I've made others since that first one. I am so glad you popped in. Thanks for your comment, what is quilttemplatesM?
ReplyDeleteThrifted is the way to go! I rarely buy yardage any more. But, I am also on a "Use IT Up!" regime right now so until I clean out some very deep shelves, I'm not even buying thrifted fabric.
ReplyDeleteI've been in your shoes; but, you know what? There's plenty of room at the Quilting Table for all of us!
Heh, that is awesome that you are not buying anything even thrifted fabric. This years resolution was to not buy any new fabric this year at all! Period. You are so right, so much of what I have is lovely for crazy quilts and I'm working on three right now. Photos to come when I post the tutorial for crazy quilting.
DeleteLet's spread the word, do a blog linking party with others who are thrifty and not buying anything this year? What do you think?