The 30 years quilt

Sampler Quilt 1982 - 2012

 I knew that I wanted the next post to be about the sampler quilt top that I made in 1982.  But I hadn't quilted it yet and so it's been almost 2 years since my last entry.  I just finished hand quilting it last week so here is the story.

Crochet texture

 I became pregnant with our 2nd child in 1974.  Somehow I knew it was a girl (no ultrasounds back then).  I wanted to make a blessing dress even though it would have been much easier to buy one.

I could have asked my mother, who was a "seamstress extrordinaire" to make something wonderful but I was insistant that I make it myself.  So I found a crochet pattern I liked and got busy.

Tina age 6 wks.

 I finished the dress with time to spare and I got my girl.  The only problem was I lined the dress with a 100% polyester lining and the crocheted part kept slipping away from the lining.  I had to be very careful not to drop her.  You can see the lining poking out at the hem of her dress above as she is slowly sliding down.



Blessing Day 1975

We blessed her at the Institute of Religion on the UNLV campus where her father was serving as a couselor in the Branch Presidency.

Well, 6 yrs. later I was expecting again.  It was my 5th pregnancy and I had had 2 more boys since our first girl and was hoping that another daughter was in our future.

Mitzi age 3 mos.

 Sure enough, daughter #2 was next in the queue.

I used the same blessing dress for both girls. 

 But don't worry, there was no battle over who got the dress now that they are adults.  I had also brought them home from the hospital in the same little knitted lace dress that I was brought home in.  So, Tina got the crocheted blessing dress since it was made for her and Mitzi got the knitted lace dress since she is the 2nd daughter as I was.  In fact, Mitzi is the 2nd daughter of the 2nd daughter of the 2nd daughter.  (There's a country song in there somewhere).

my girls

You are probably wondering what all this has to do with quilting. . .

 I'm finally getting to that part of the story.

I went to a new little fabric store near our house that had just opened up.  It was called "Sew What".  I was looking for a different colored ribbon for the blessing dress.  I had used burgundy for Tina and I wanted a nice soft pink for Mitzi. 

As a result of me going to that particular store I was asked (through a friend) to teach their beginning quilting class.  My friend had confidence in me eventhough I didn't know how to quilt.  I knew how to sew, just not how to quilt. 

My mother had made quilts (previous post), my paternal grandmother made quilt tops, but my mother-in-law made numerous quilts which I had been exposed to and so it gave me confidence.

I was asked to teach out of the "The Sampler Quilt" book by Diane Leone.  So I went home and following her instructions taught myself how to cut out templates and hand piece a quilt block.  I was encouraged numerous times to make up a quilt to have on display so they could advertise the class.  That makes sence, but I had 5 children at home under the age of eight and so my time was at a minimum.

I stayed up late sewing after everyone was settled down.  And I got quite a bad infection in one of my eyes because of the eye strain.  But, I was able to hand piece a small top for display.

"What, you mean you want it quilted too?"

Finished quilt on a chair in my living room May 2012

I only ended up teaching two classes in a row before I could see that my family needed me more than the quilt store did.  But, I met some wonderful ladies and at least one of them is still quilting today.

The unfinished quilt top has moved from one place to another in the last 30 years.  It has moved from box to hanger to sewing stash to drawer.  But, I always knew someday that I would finish it because it was my first attempt at a craft that I've grown to love immensely.

This year was the year.  I was determined that the little top would not go unquilted any longer.  I tried to remember how I would have quilted it 30 years ago.  The traditional method at that time was to quilt 1/4" inside the seam line and so that is what I did.  I also remembered that I wanted to use white thread so my quilting would show (an interesting choice for an unexperienced quilter).  I was going to use a fat 100% polyester batt because that was all that was available in my town in the 1980's but I ended up using a lower loft polyester batt.

I also ended up with an orphan block.  Part of my class was spent learning how to hand piece correctly and part of it was learning needleturn applique.  (I can't believe how brazen I was to call my self a teacher!!!)  So I wanted an applique block in the sampler quilt.  Because there was only one appliqued block it looked sooooooo  out of place.  I replaced it with the Drunkards Path block.

I'm surprised how good my applique actually is.  (I'll save that for another post.)

Thanks for sticking with me through this long story.
Robin