I originally found this rather sad twin-size quilt at the thrift store, and felt the poor thing deserved another chance. Could it move on to a happier life?
Now, it's certain that this poor quilt started out with several serious challenges: it began life in a third world country, quickly made from less than top quality materials, very loosely quilted, and cast upon the world. In its adopted home it seems it was used hard and sent into the cold world of used home furnishings, faded and with popped seams, to be valued at only $4.oo.
I'd been thinkng about a quilt for the bedroom chair, and this would be a head start on both time and materials. The colors and the challenge drew me in, so I brought it home with me.
The original 'hand quilting' was a long running stitch along one side of each block--in other words, it was pre-basted! It seemed a good chance to practice my machine quilting, so I mended bits of about 10 or 12 seams that had come loose and began quilting. (Sorry the quilting doesn't show more in the photo.) I figure I spent four or five hours at the machine.
Was this idea a good one in the first place? Maybe, maybe not. It will never be a 'real' quilt. Lessons learned and re-enforced:
-good quality materials are of the first importance. Polyester fabrics and
battings will never wear or quilt as well as good quality cotton--they tend to be both stiff and a little scratchy.
-
-quilting does not 'snuggle in' to an already used quilt.
-machine quilting improves with practice!
The quilt does look quite appealing on the chair in the bedroom.
Now, it's certain that this poor quilt started out with several serious challenges: it began life in a third world country, quickly made from less than top quality materials, very loosely quilted, and cast upon the world. In its adopted home it seems it was used hard and sent into the cold world of used home furnishings, faded and with popped seams, to be valued at only $4.oo.
I'd been thinkng about a quilt for the bedroom chair, and this would be a head start on both time and materials. The colors and the challenge drew me in, so I brought it home with me.
The original 'hand quilting' was a long running stitch along one side of each block--in other words, it was pre-basted! It seemed a good chance to practice my machine quilting, so I mended bits of about 10 or 12 seams that had come loose and began quilting. (Sorry the quilting doesn't show more in the photo.) I figure I spent four or five hours at the machine.
Was this idea a good one in the first place? Maybe, maybe not. It will never be a 'real' quilt. Lessons learned and re-enforced:
-good quality materials are of the first importance. Polyester fabrics and
battings will never wear or quilt as well as good quality cotton--they tend to be both stiff and a little scratchy.
-
-quilting does not 'snuggle in' to an already used quilt.
-machine quilting improves with practice!
The quilt does look quite appealing on the chair in the bedroom.
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