Replacing Grandma's Quilt - It's done

Actually, this quilt been done for a few months but I didn't like the photos I took, so I put this final update on hold.

Blogging and photographing my projects lets me share them with family, friends, and other crafters. Taking photos also helps me remember the details of how something was made, but it is a burden and does not come naturally to me. Frequently I have to make myself move on to other projects by accepting photos that are suitable, even when they don't look as professional as I would like them.

These are the final details about replacing Grandma's quilt.

• The name of the quilt is Quarantine Quadrangle Quilt or Q3 for short. It measures 90"x108".
• I sent the quilt top off to Nancy at Stitch After Stitch Machine Quilting. I HAD to choose this heart pattern for the quilting:
  
• Close up of the completed heart quilting. I LOVE it!
  
• I used my sewing machine's walking foot to stitch the binding.
  
• Nothing had been hand stitched on this quilt up until this point, so I HAD to sew the binding down by hand.
  
• This is the quilt on a double bed (in a room of our home that has more natural lighting.)
  
• Here is the quilt on our king bed (natural lighting in this room sucks!)
  

There is no doubt in my mind that grandma would love my quilt. Here's to you grandma. I miss you.

RBG Collar

I made this collar over a year ago in honor of RBG. Here's the pattern.

Stitch Definitions:
ch = chain
sc = single crochet
dc = double crochet
trc = triple crochet
st = stitch
sl st = slip stitch
ws = wrong side
rs = right side

Materials:
#10 white crochet cotton
#7 steel crochet hook
1 or 2 1/2" button(s)

Special Stitch Definition:
Shell: (dc, ch 2, dc)

Pattern
Ch 167
Row 1: (ws) Sc in 11th ch from hook (button loop formed) and each ch across row. (157 sc)

Row 2: (rs) Ch 5 (counts as dc plus ch 2), dc in same st, *ch 3, skip next 2 sts, sc in next st, ch 3, skip next 2 sts, (dc, ch 2, dc) in next st (shell made), repeat from * across.

Row 3: Ch 6 (counts as dc plus ch 3), dc in next dc, *ch 4, dc in next dc, ch 3, dc in next dc, repeat from * across.

Row 4: Sl st to center of loop, ch 5 (counts as dc plus ch 2), dc in same space, *ch 5, skip ch 4 loop, shell in center of next loop, repeat from * across.

Row 5: Sl st to center of loop, ch 5 (counts as dc plus ch 2), dc in same space , *ch 3, sc in next loop, ch 3, shell in center of next shell, repeat from * across.

Row 6: Ch 6 (counts as dc plus ch 3), dc in next dc, *ch 6, dc in next dc, ch 3, dc in next dc, repeat from * across.

Row 7: Sl st to center of loop, ch 5 (counts as dc plus ch2) , dc in same space, *ch 3, sc in next loop, ch 3, shell in center of next loop, repeat from * across.

Row 8: Repeat row 6.

Row 9: Repeat row 7.

Row 10: St st into loop, ch 8, sl st in 4 ch from hook for picot, **1 trc in same space, (ch 4, sl st in 4th ch from hook for picot, trc in same space) 3 times, *ch 3, sc in sc of previous row, ch 3, trc in center of next shell, ch 4, sl st in 4th st from hook for picot, repeat from ** across, end by working from ** to *.

Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Soak and block to open up lace.

Sew button(s) to top edge side on right side across from the button loop. Sewing on multiple buttons allows for the collar to lay at different lengths.

Replacing Grandma's Quilt - Starting Over

Previous: Replacing Grandma's Quilt - What Went Wrong

There is currently a coronovirus pandemic and everyone is social distancing or sheltering in place. I need a major project to keep me busy and occupy my mind. It's time to take grandma's replacement quilt out of the closet and figure out how I'm going to rework it.

I went looking for a new quilt pattern, trying to find one I liked which fit these two requirements:

• The pieces of the new pattern have the same shape and size as the old quilt.
• The two colors are more evenly distributed across the pattern (no large areas of the same color.)

I found this variation of the "exploding" square quilt block:

The pattern is a standard 9 patch block. I need to merge some of the patches together (in order to minimize fabric loss because of re-cutting) and then assemble each block a little differently but this pattern will mean minimum cutting of the pieces from the first quilt top. I'm going to embrace this and "make it work."

The top is DONE! I like it so much better than my first attempt. I can't take good pictures from my master bedroom because we have a king size bed in a small room with north and west facing windows (meaning not great light) but I think you'll get the idea with this photo:

Now it's off to Nancy, the fabulous quilter at Stitch After Stitch Machine Quilting. It's going to look even better once she works her magic. It's not a blue ribbon contender as far as quilts go, but it's a more than adequate replacement for my grandmothers quilt.

I do want to name it. Quarantine Quilt? QQ? Any better ideas? Let me know!

Coming next: Replacing Grandma's Quilt - It's done.

Replacing Grandma's Quilt - What Went Wrong

Previous: Replacing Grandma's Quilt - The Decision

My plan to replace grandma's quilt is to sew a very simple top and then send it to a professional machine quilter. I admire quilted items and I know how to do it, but my sewing interests and projects have typically been garments. I don't have the patience to hand stitch a quilt of any size (much less a king-sized one.) I don't feel compelled to make a quilt the same way grandma did and I am absolutely certain that she would approve of this strategy.

I'm going to gloss over most of the details for this next part because what I saw in my head was NOT what came out. This can happen to me for a variety of reasons and this time it was because I misjudged the scale.

I tried to reproduce this uncomplicated and easy design. Technically it's a chevron pattern, but I see hearts!:

What I did:

UGH. I made the fabric pieces too big and it threw the scale of the pattern off. I hadn't adjusted for the fact that my bed is king size and the one in the picture was probably double size.

I did not like the result and could not talk myself into believing that it would be fine when quilted.

I took all the stitching apart, threw the fabric pieces into a box, hid it the back of the closet and waited to calm down. All of this happened over a year and a half ago.

Coming next: Replacing Grandma's Quilt - Starting Over

Replacing Grandma's Quilt - The Decision

You know that one picture you have in your mind of a person? The one you always think of when you remember them? This is the one for me of my Grandmother Loretta. Here she is enjoying a beautiful Michigan summer day by sitting outside on her deck and quilting. Don't you love the "Harry Potter" glasses? She wore them decades before J.K. Rowling put them on Harry. I have many memories of my grandmother and her quilting is a prominent one.

Grandma made dozens (if not hundreds) of quilts for her family and she HAND QUILTED all of them! To this day, I don't how she did it. She believed quilts provide a function and purpose and she had one insistent directive when giving them - "Use it!" She didn't want her work stored away untouched and unseen. Through the years I received three of her quilts, two bed sized and one crib.

One quilt is in my guest bedroom. It is a double bed size quilt with a maple leaf pattern that is bright and cheery and has a vivid pink binding. The memory of my grandmother is passed on each time we have new guests and I tell the story about her and her quilts.

The crib quilt became a "blankie" for my daughter Laura, who loved wrapping herself in it. Enveloping yourself in one of grandma's quilts is ...... Wow, I can't find any words for that incredibly special feeling!

The biggest quilt is queen size but fits our king bed (pictured here on a smaller bed) and has been covering it for over 30 years. The quilt is literally falling apart and needs to be replaced (you can see some of the damage in the photo). However, the idea of sleeping under a store bought quilt doesn't feel right and I can't do it. I need a quilt that will continue to help me remember grandma and one that follows her quilting tradition. I'm going to have to make it myself!

My plan is to sew a king size quilt to replace my grandmother's quilt. How much of a crafting adventure will this be and what can (or will) go wrong? Follow my journey and find out!

Next: Replacing Grandma's Quilt - What Went Wrong